The Hindu Business Line : Australian cricketers lead off the field too

THE Australian team is on a song and not just on the cricket field; they are having a field day off it too. Stars such as Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Shane Warne and Glen McGrath have all been making appearances in advertisements and live events and have been offering expert comments in news magazines and television channels.

Ricky Ponting

The high interest level is because the men from Down Under are in top form, have a huge fan following and, most importantly, charge lower appearance fees than their Indian counterparts. It costs advertisers almost 50 per cent less to hire an Australian cricketer than a domestic star.

Shane Warne

Ms Vinita Bangard, Vice-President, Celebrity Management and Services, Percept D'Mark said, "The use of Australian cricketers in ads during the ongoing tour is tactical and topical. Hence they connect with the audiences. But the interest levels will come down once the tournament comes to an end."

It is the liquor companies such as Seagram's Royal Stag and Foster's that have been in the forefront in using the Aussie cricketers. While advertising industry officials maintain that this is surrogate advertising, the companies believe these cricketers have been effective in promoting brands. "The fine print may talk about a soda or a cricketing gear, but the brand recall is for the liquor. This is obviously surrogate advertising," said Mr Sandip Tarkas, CEO, Media Direction (part of RK Swamy/BBDO).

According to Mr Bikram Basu, GM (Marketing), Seagram India, "The Australian team at the moment is very high-profile and the best in the cricketing world, which makes them very familiar and written-about. We have been using Ricky Ponting very effectively across print, outdoor and electronic media. During the World Cup and after, we ran full-fledged campaigns, and research has indicated that Ponting has worked well for us."

"The connection with Aussie cricketers works well for us because we are an Australian beer. Moreover, Aussie cricketers are fun loving, relaxed and informal. These are also the characteristics of the Foster's brand. Aussie cricketers are highly respected, probably due to their success rate," said Mr Pradeep Gidwani, MD, Foster's India Ltd. During the current tour, the company roped in Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz and Darren Lehmann.

Timex too has been using Lee to promote its brand. Mr Salil Sadanandan Vice-President (Marketing), Timex Watches, said, "Our research has shown that he has had a rub-off on our sales and brand. We signed him on in 2003 and have extended the contract till next year. Lee is a role model even in the smaller cities. The awareness is there. Also, Indian cricketers are over-exposed. They would have endorsed brands across five to six categories which does not give an image of exclusivity."

Mr Atul Phadnis, Vice-President, TAM India, said the coming together of cricket and the festival season is a good opportunity for advertisers. And even as the Australian team too seems to be making the best of the festival season, Indian fans are desperately hoping for a miracle from the Men in Blue.

(With reports from Boby Kurian and Neha Kaushik)

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Australian cricketers lead off the field too