Power play

Just like the power-house performances and nail-biting finishes that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is known for, the ad-spots between overs are equally entertaining. Brands rush to capitalise on the vast viewership that this domestic tournament enjoys by creating campaigns especially for IPL. The audience is in turn treated to a bonanza of creativity. Among the most popular ads released this year during IPL is the one by the food-tech giant Swiggy.

“Swiggy has been an associate broadcast sponsor of IPL two years in a row. The partnership with India's biggest television entertainment spectacle, which draws millions of people and cricket fans, is a great platform for Swiggy as it places us right where the consumer is present organically,” says Srivats TS, VP-marketing, Swiggy.

With their campaign, ‘What a delivery’, the start-up communicates how Swiggy enriches the experience of watching the games with friends, family and food. Sagar Kapoor, chief creative officer, Lowe Lintas, states that the brief was re-establishing the core connect of IPL and Swiggy. “‘What a delivery’ brings alive the features that Swiggy has to offer. These features are juxtaposed in slice-of-life relatable moments. The clever commentary line in the end adds the cricketing simile to the story,” adds Kapoor.

The campaign comprises three ads, each inspired by everyday situations and addressing a different customer base. For instance, one ad shows a regular household scenario where the husband has mistakenly invited all his school friends home to watch the match together whereas he has prepared a meal for just two guests. Even as the wife rolls her eyes at his plight, she simply orders food on Swiggy. Another ad shows two roommates squabbling over who has to get up to cook while an engrossing match is on. After much deliberation, they simply turn to Swiggy. The third commercial shows two women discussing how their families waste time watching cricket because the cricketers get the name and fame, but they (the viewers) get nothing. The next moment, the batsman hits a six and they quickly log on to Swiggy to avail the 60% discount promised on every sixer!

A combination of simple storyline and minimal dialogue is the hallmark of most Swiggy ads, and the brand stays true to it in this campaign as well. Catchy music, interspersed with cricket commentary from Harsha Bhogle like ‘fans have stomped the ground’ and ‘batsmen showing very little intent here’, make this campaign a sleeper hit. In cricketing parlance, Swiggy has hit the ball out of the stadium!