Sony Six unveils the TVC created for 2014 Champions Tennis League

Conceptualized by Havas Worldwide, the commercial is targeted towards sports fans and general audiences alike by igniting the passion for tennis that has been evoked with the element of the tennis ball. Capturing a series of montages of the tennis ball in action, the commercial culminates into the announcement of India’s most exciting all-star tennis league, the Champions Tennis League. Through the commercial, the channel aims to engage with a large spectrum of audience by driving the relevance of the tennis ball in one’s everyday life.

The commercial opens with a quick montage of clips being shown on the tennis ball being put to use. The scenes are supplement with a voiceover narrative of how the tennis ball is being used in India for a wide variety of activities. From being used as an object for amusement in the hands of a juggler in a circus, to being a ball of terror against batsmen playing “gully cricket’ or from being an item of décor used for rickshaws to a vessel for communicating hidden messages of love amongst the youth in the country. The advertisement catches the various aspects of the florescent sphere and how it has made its way into the daily lives of the people.

The commercial goes on to depict further instances of the tennis ball in use with a catchy tune that syncs with the jovial feel of the commercial. The commercial ends on a unique note where the ball flies into a house causing disturbance in the house of an elderly man. The man comes out onto his balcony with a presumable rage, blaming the neighbourhood kids for playing cricket all day. At that point the commercial takes an unconventional twist where much to the aged man’s surprise; the kids playing down are holding tennis racquets and are sporting an impish smile. This sync in with the concluding shot of the commercial where the narrative voice over prepares audiences to get ready to witness the best of international tennis superstars compete in India at the Champions Tennis League.

Commenting on the launch of the TVC, Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, SONY SIX, said, ‘‘Through the years, the tennis ball has come to be synonymous with a host of activities like cricket, lagori and juggling amongst many other outdoor activities. It presents an autonomous manifestation of sportiness. What we have tried to do through this TVC is not only show the versatility of the ball but connect it to its fundamental use, which lies in the game of tennis, highlighting the first ever international tennis league to be hosted in India.”

Vivek Rao, Executive Creative Director, said, ‘The team came up with a script that had a simple, wonderful insight. In India a Tennis Ball has been omnipresent in our lives since our childhood for reasons other than the game of tennis. Finally here's a reason to see it for what it's really meant for - Tennis! And the Champions Tennis League has the right pros to make it a must watch tennis league. The “extreme slow motion” treatment recommended by director Nitesh Tiwari was to ensure that the hero very clearly was the Tennis Ball.”

The TVC will be aired across various English, Hindi and regional news, movies and entertainment channels and will be promoted on various digital spaces. The inaugural league headed by Vijay Amritraj, will take place between the 17th to 26th November and will be held in 6 cities in India. The league will witness national and international tennis talent with each team having top ATP and WTA players, captained by a tennis legend.