Galvanizing a billion-plus fans with a fan-inspired jersey

By Svetlana Lasrado, Manager - Communications, MPL

When I first read the news that the Indian cricket team had a new shirt sponsor in MPL Sports, to say I was surprised would be an understatement. The swoosh had adorned Team India jerseys for as long as I could remember. Nike was associated with the BCCI for over 14 years and was part of some of the most defining moments in the team’s history.

“The partnership leads us to a new frontier for Team India and for sports merchandising in the country,” stated Jay Shah, Secretary, BCCI. MPL Sports, the story continued, hoped to take all kinds of team India merchandise to the masses at affordable prices, something that wasn’t done before.

Back then, in November 2020, MPL, to me, was an unknown brand in the apparel space. I knew the work they were doing in gaming and esports, and their association with Virat Kohli made quite a few headlines. But sponsoring one of the biggest and most followed sports teams in the world? Surely MPL had bitten off more than it could chew? But, whatever the skepticism surrounding this announcement, the brand seemed ambitious and was genuinely determined to make a mark and serve fans. 

When I joined the company three months later, I knew I wanted to be a part of the MPL Sports team. I had previously worked with Nike for many years as part of my role at 22feet Tribal Worldwide, a digital agency. The National Team Kit launch was one of the biggest campaigns for the brand. We worked closely with cricketers and other athletes, crafted movement challenges and built content that would appeal to and engage cricket fans. I knew I could bring that expertise and learning to help the homegrown brand reach the lofty goals they had set for themselves.

There were lots of people who were skeptical about a newbie brand taking over sponsorship rights from a global powerhouse like Nike. We also had to earn the loyalty of a billion plus fans for whom cricket is a religion. These were just a few of the challenges we had to tackle as we set out to launch our very first T20 jersey.

But before we could design something that would make the billion plus fans proud, we took a step back to understand the gaps that we could address. We found out that price was one of the biggest issues that consumers faced. A Nike jersey used to cost upwards of Rs 4000, a price that is not affordable to a majority of Indians. It was also not widely available. The result was a slew of counterfeit products that, to this day, continue to sell on ecommerce platforms.

We also recognized that while fans formed an integral part of the sport, they were not involved in the actual design of the jersey. In the past, we had jerseys made for the fans. But nothing by the fans. Thus, the Billion Cheers Jersey was born—a jersey that was designed with the cheers, emotions, chants of the cricket fans from past iconic matches, and one that was affordable and accessible. The next step was to create a launch campaign that would make an impact and also build credibility for MPL Sports.

We had a packed cricketing calendar ahead of us. The launch was bookended by the finals of the IPL and the start of the T20 Cup. We needed to do something that was truly memorable.

The Big Bang Launch

As the tournament was held in the UAE, we chose to unveil the jersey with a strong statement. We lit up the tallest tower in the world—the Burj Khalifa—in Team India colors, a first ever in the team’s history! A spectacular video launch took place at the Burj Khalifa to the cheers of the gathered crowd and the thousands who followed the spectacle on social media.

Conversations across the Globe

The Indian Cricket Team enjoys a fan following not just in India. So we enlisted Bharat Army, the vociferous India cricket fan organization, to amplify the buzz. Their members across the world wore the billion cheers jersey and cheered for Team India. The Billion Cheers Jersey’s presence was felt from the UK to the US and from Canada to Japan.

Building credibility through PR

While getting coverage for the jersey was the prime objective, we also wanted to establish MPL Sports’ bonafides as an authentic sportswear brand. We kicked off conversations a month before the official launch, through a series of spokesperson interviews around MPL Sports and our vision. For the main launch, while the jersey took centerstage, we ensured that MPL Sports wasn’t overshadowed by the much more media-savvy BCCI. In all the stories, we ensured that the brand’s key message was covered. Even after the launch, we continued the news drumbeat with multiple story themes, talking about campaign film, partnerships with retail platforms and other engagement activities. We targeted different genres of media, going beyond national outlets, to talk to our audience in tier 2 and 3 towns and cities, that were an untapped market for us.

Creating an anthem for fans

We unveiled the official Team India Jersey Anthem -  'Show Your Game', a tribute to every cricket fan in the country. Building on the jersey theme, the film showcased how Indians from all walks of life come together and show their A-game to breathe life and energy into the jersey that will be worn by the Indian team when they take the field in the upcoming T20 tournament. It was a call to action to every Indian to don the jersey, show their game and support Team India. And we got tastemakers of all stripes to join this movement, from Baba Sehgal to viral social media star, Mayur Jumani who published their very own versions of the #GameDikha anthem.

It has been six months since the day we launched the Billion Cheers Jersey, a crown jewel for MPL Sports. It was one of the most successful campaigns in MPL’s history. We added a record number of visitors to our website during that time and also sold a record number of jerseys. Through our PR activities, we received more than 700 media stories, getting visibility in reputed national and regional publications. Most importantly, we were able to create something that would reverberate across the nation. The Billion Cheers Jersey was not just a piece of apparel, it was a vibe, an emotion and I am happy I was proven wrong. MPL Sports may not be an apparel behemoth, but we sure understand the pulse of every Indian cricket fan. Onto the next innings!