Sharmas new pin-up boys

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All day on Sunday, television ran stories saying Pepsi had decided to end Ganguly and Dravid's contracts and replace them with youngsters. Well, it might seem that way on the face of it, but if you look below the surface, it's not true, reports Heena Zuni Pandit. More... Sharmas new pin-up boys Heena Zuni Pandit, Hindustan Times New Delhi, February 17, 2008 First Published: 23:18 IST(17/2/2008) Last Updated: 23:28 IST(17/2/2008) ALL DAY on Sunday, television ran stories saying soft drinks giant Pepsi had decided to end Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid's contracts and replace them with youngsters Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma. Well, it might seem that way on the face of it, but if you look below the surface, it's not true. Ganguly's contract with Pepsi reportedly ended even before the Caribbean World Cup a year ago, while Dravid's lapsed late last year. "We didn't even initiate any discussion on a renewal," Dravid's manager and head of 21st Century Media (TCM), Lokesh Sharma, told the Hindustan Times. "It didn't make sense to us. At different stages of a person's life, he has a different image and is therefore associated with different commercials. When you're a child, it's chocolates, for instance. Rahul now endorses products like banking and insurance, it's a different image, one more suited to what he is now." A top Pepsi official confirmed to HT that a new campaign is being envisaged around the younger Indian players but that was only because of the nature of the campaign and a need for youth connect. "The decision to promote Ishant and Rohit is part of the company's idea to position Pepsi as a youth brand," said the official. He said that Rohit and Ishant (and others) had been picked up because of their "attitude". Both are now part of Pepsi's new campaign for 2008, "Yeh hai Youngistaan Meri Jaan". Incidentally, Pepsi have had both on board for over a while now and it has nothing to do with Dravid and Ganguly's being out of the one-day team. Ishant's agent and director of Collage Sports Management, Latika Khaneja, said as much. Khaneja, who signed on Ishant in June 2006, said Pepsi had signed him up over six months ago. Rohit's manager, Gameplan's Yudhajit Dutta, said that both the deals had been done around the same time. "Companies rarely make decisions in a hurry and Pepsi started supporting Rohit as a young cricketer and signed him on six months ago". "They took on some younger players early on a kind of built-up contract that will develop with time," said Khaneja, adding that the response on Ishant's endorsements had been really good after his Australia performances. Meanwhile, PepsiCo, which lost out on a bid for an IPL team, still wants to be associated with the League, which begins this April. "We are exploring all possibilities to gain leverage from the series," the official said. Expect more big bucks-related news on the IPL front then.

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Dravid, Ganguly as hot as flat cola now? Cola giant Pepsi has decided to drop out-of-favour former captains Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid from their new advertising campaign. More...

[Desi Cartman]

Dravid, Ganguly as hot as flat cola now? A presence in the One-day squad is still the passport to endorsement riches for India's cricketers. Taking a leaf out of the BCCI selection committee's book, cola giant Pepsi has decided to drop out-of-favour former captains Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid from their new advertising campaign. The company has made it clear it feels the fizz has gone out of their commercial potential. The latest recruits are two hot talents busy showcasing their skills in the tri-series Down Under, Mumbai's Rohit Sharma and Delhi's fiery pacer Ishant Sharma. Pepsi bosses believe roping in the two youngsters will provide greater brand visibility for their new 'Youngistan' campaign, which focuses on young consumers. The move is being perceived as a clear sign of changing market trends, since Pepsi is also maintaining a curious silence on Sachin Tendulkar, the biggest cricketing brand India has seen and for long the company's brand ambassador. The company's ideological shift on branding implies Ganguly and Dravid have lost the pulse of the target audience, India's hip and happening younger generation. Just like the country's latest crop of cricket players, the new corporate image is all about attitude and aggression. "From time to time, we review the list of stars and depending on the situation and who we think is right, we pick and choose. In the case of cricketers, Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma are surely in as they have the attitude and aggression, reflecting Pepsi's brand image," said Sandeep Singh Arora, the company's executive VP marketing (cola). Arora added: "If you talk about Rahul and Ganguly, they are not on the list now." Lokesh Sharma, head of Twenty-First Century Media with which Dravid is associated, clarified to TOI that "Dravid's contract expired about a year back, so it's not something sudden". Asked about Pepsi's thinking on Tendulkar, who is still very much a part of the One-day team, Arora said: "It will not be appropriate to talk about him at this point of time. The new campaign is not only for youngsters but for the young at heart. It represents a never-failing attitude, desire to take on challenges and then power to turn things around." Dilip Vengsarkar's selection committee would agree. http://cricket.indiatimes.com/Dravid_Ganguly_as_hot_as_flat_cola_now/articleshow/2790434.cms

[Chandan]

I hope the Sharma's article clears up the air somewhat and people learn not to believe in media blindly. It is understood that Pepsi is having a long term contract with Indian cricket and won't end the contract of two respected just on a trivial issue of not being chosen in the team for ODI cricket. The connection of Sharmas with their new campaign makes sense.

[Ram]

I am sure even Dravid and Ganguly themselves wouldnt make too much of a meal out of being left out of the latest pepsi ad-campaign. Every star has his own brand-recall that only lasts for a while. Dravid and Saurav enjoyed their times in the sun, made crores of money, now with them in the twilight of their career and not being in the forefront of Indian victories as often as before, of course they wont get as many ads as before. Dravid's case is a bit more clear-cut, but Ganguly's case is a lot more complex. Despite having made a wonderful company, brand managers will still be hesitant to get him on board, because of his checkered history. His fall-out with GC, the public spat, cost his brand dearly. One man I do expect to figure prominently in ad campaigns, esp in finance related stuff, is Anil Kumble. His statesmen like behavior during the Sydney test is just the kind of image many companies would be after.

[talksport]

How can Ganguly and Dravid eat now

[Sachinism]

sad for ganguly and dravid, they'll need to find some other to make money

[fineleg]

One man I do expect to figure prominently in ad campaigns, esp in finance related stuff, is Anil Kumble. His statesmen like behavior during the Sydney test is just the kind of image many companies would be after.

u'll be surprised...many companies will prefer the 'i'll sulk and sulk' Yuseless to statesman Kumble finance related maybe, maybe not...but YS will make big bucks compared to seasoned AK ps to appease the uncle yograj: ok, ok, he is not yuseless in 2020 and odis, only yuseless in tests

[Guest Hiten.]

LOL....as if Ganguly and Dravid's bread and butter depended on Pepsi's ad shoots. Ganguly owns a restaurant in kolkata and I am damn sure Kolkatians won't let their own man's food down :D :P.

[koksmayu]

Pepsi drops Ganguly, Dravid as ambassadors The change of guard in Indian cricket team is reflecting in the endorsement market, with soft drinks major Pepsi deciding to drop Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid as ambassadors while roping in youngsters Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma, in line with its brand ideology. As far as master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who has been Pepsi's brand ambassador for a long time now, is concerned, the company is observing a silence. "From time to time we review the list of stars and depending on situation and who we think is right, we pick and choose. In case of cricketers, Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma are surely in as they have the attitude and aggression reflecting Pepsi's brand image PepsiCo India Executive Vice President, Marketing (Cola), Sandeep Singh Arora said in New Delhi. "If you talk about Rahul and Ganguly, they are not on the list now," Arora said. While Ganguly and Dravid have been dropped from the one-day team, on Tendulkar who is a part of the team, Arora said, "It would be inappropriate to talk about him at this point of time." Pepsi's decision to sign Ishant and Rohit, the two emerging cricketers who have received accolades for their performances in the ongoing Tri-Series in Australia, is a part of the company's focus to position Pepsi as a youth brand, for which it has also kicked off its new campaign for 2008, 'Yeh hai Youngistaan Meri Jaan'. "The new campaign targets the youth of the nation, not only youngsters but also people young at heart. 'Youngistaan' represents a never failing attitude, desire to take on challenges and the power to turn things around," Arora said. ITS A SAD FRIEDS

[IndianRenegade]

old news...

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Ishant grooved in endorsement fast lane India's fastest bowler is also among the country's hottest young sports property today. After signing contracts with Reebok and Pepsi, Delhi boy Ishant Sharma is all set to endorse three more products. More... Ishant grooved in endorsement fast lane TNN / Avijit Ghosh NEW DELHI, April 11: India's fastest bowler is also among the country's hottest young sports property today. After signing contracts with Reebok and Pepsi, Delhi boy Ishant Sharma is all set to endorse three more products. One of them is GlaxoSmithKline's health drink, Boost. The beanpole teenager, who scalped three South African wickets on Friday and who had tied up Australian captain Ricky Ponting in knots earlier this year, will also be promoting products from a telecom company and a storage battery company. "I even had to refuse a contract with a kid's television channel because he is short of time," says Latika Khaneja, director, Collage Sports Management, the company that manages Ishant's endorsement contracts. Those involved with the deal did not disclose the amount that Ishant would make. Market sources, though, estimate that Ishant could overall earn anything between Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore annually from these deals. Piyush Pandey, executive chairman, Ogilvy India and South Asia, says that companies are eager to grab Ishant because he personifies the country's current "we-can-do-it" mood. "He is a young achiever. To the youth, he sends out the message that names don't matter, only performance counts. His success shows the confidence of new India," says Pandey. Interestingly, Khaneja has also signed a clutch of under-19 cricketers such as Pradeep Sangwan, Ravindra Jadeja and Iqbal Abdullah as well as Delhi's 21-year-old middle-order batsman Mayank Tehlan (also Virender Sehwag's cousin). "Barring Sangwan, they have all got deals with Reebok," says Khaneja. TS Dayanand, general manager (marketing), GlaxoSmithKline, says that Ishant represents the emerging tribe of winners. "He displays energy and a winning attitude. That suits our brand," he says. Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Sehwag and MS Dhoni also endorse the health drink. Khaneja had signed Ishant way back in June 2006. But admits she had no idea the paceman would make it big so soon. Dayanand points out that Khaneja was trying to get them to sign the Ishant deal for some time but it was around the time when the paceman had Australia captain Ponting hopping that the deal fructified. On Friday, as he clean bowled three South Africans - Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher and Paul Harris - with sharp in-cutters, it was evident Ishant has recovered from the injury that kept him out of the first two Tests.