The IPL tournament may be more than a month away but the UB Group is padding up for the season. The group, which signed on Mahendra Singh Dhoni to promote McDowell's soda, will come out with a television commercial featuring Dhoni in April.

Incidentally, Vijay-Mallya's UB group owns the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL team and Dhoni is the captain of the Chennai Super Kings team. “Dhoni is a cricketer and we are using him to endorse our product. In any case, to avoid any clash of interests, we have obtained the permission of CSK as a safety net and they have given us clearance,” said Mr Ashok Capoor, Deputy President, United Spirits, the Rs 5,700-crore spirits arm of the UB Group.

On whether the company did not release the TVC during the World Cup given the confusion and controversy surrounding ambush marketing, Mr Capoor said, “We are not even ready with the commercial now. The TVC will be released post the World Cup and it will tie in with the IPL.”

The TVC, which is currently being shot in the country, will showcase the unique leadership style of the Indian captain. The advertising agency for the commercial is Mudra, Bangalore.

Apart from the advertisement, the company plans to use Dhoni in ‘meet-and-greet' programmes with consumers. “While Dhoni would promote McDowell's No. 1 Platinum Soda, this is bound to have a rub-off effect on other brands in the McDowell's portfolio (which includes No. 1 whisky and Celebration rum) as well. We expect the signing of Dhoni to give a big lift to the McDowell's brand,” said Mr Capoor.

The McDowell's portfolio contributes to over 30 per cent of United Spirits' total volumes.

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