Coca-Cola India's clear carbonated soft drink brand, Sprite, has embarked on a new thematic campaign with the tag line ‘First Drink. Then Think'.

A set of three teasers launched the ‘University of Freshology' campaign a day before the ICC Cricket World Cup, on February 18, and the first ‘reveal' commercial was aired on February 25.

The campaign, encompassing on air, on-ground and digital, will be executed through the year. Sources estimate the marketing budget for the campaign to be in the region of Rs 35 crore. The creative agency behind the campaign is Ogilvy India.

Speaking to Business Line , Mr Srinivas Murthy, Director (Marketing, Flavours), Coca-Cola India, said, “When it was launched in 1999, Sprite was a challenger brand. It has grown to claim leadership in the category. So now whom do we challenge? We didn't want to speak like a leader, because then we wouldn't stay true to our DNA. But we have consciously moved away from our obsession with ‘ bakwaas '.”

The brand has shed its popular tagline ‘ Bujaye only pyaas, baki sab bakwaas ' with the new campaign. The insight was that today's teens find smart ways out of tough situations with ‘fresh thinking' — drinking Sprite has been portrayed in the television ads as a sure way to trigger fresh thought.

Digital media is playing a key role in the new campaign, starting with a new Web site — www.sprite.in — and an Indian Facebook page. Among several contests is one where visitors are invited to suggest smart endings to teasers that appeared on television. Suggestions getting the most ‘likes' (votes) will get made into a film. A new contest called CricWit will go live on the Web site shortly, and will be driven by the brand's Facebook fan base.

“From brands talking to consumers in the old days, we moved to having a dialogue with them. Now, with an application like CricWit, the brand Sprite will only provide a platform for consumers to express their thoughts. That will be part of the next phase of this campaign, where fans will be invited to comment on cricket, whether it's the World Cup or IPL. The most popular as decided by followers on Facebook will win prizes,” explained Mr Murthy.

The on-ground leg of the campaign will be driven through ‘Sprite Gully Cricket Champs'. The third edition of the street cricket property will be hosted across 27 cities in 11 States, with 32 short-listed teams playing in each city. City winners will get a prize of Rs 1,00,000 and runners up will get Rs 50,000. City winners will play for a zonal title and a cash prize of Rs 5,00,000.

The April 2011 edition will be the biggest on-ground exercise by Sprite in the country. On-pack promotions and roadshows, besides radio, print and outdoor advertising, will support the property.

“Street cricket is quick-paced, informal, has unusual rules, and is everything Sprite wants to be and stands for. In terms of timing, it will draw upon the youth TG (target group) in a leisure period starting mid-March,” added Mr Murthy.

The new campaign ushers in summer for Sprite, which claims to be the second largest carbonated soft drink brand (after Thums Up) with an estimated 14 per cent share.

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