LG, Samsung get into cricket gear to woo consumers

Day 4 at Mohali is guaranteed to be a humdinger of a match in more ways than one. As team India will try to wrest control of the game from Pakistan, another pitched battle will unfold between Korean chaebols LG and Samsung. Both the companies are set to unveil their latest promotions involving cricketers today.

If Team Samsung is represented by Rahul Dravid, Virendra Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan in the 'Jeet Lo Dil' campaign, LG has roped in Saurav Ganguly and Inzamam-ul-Haq, the skippers of the Indian and Pakistani teams.

In the Samsung campaign, cricketers urge prospective customers by saying, 'Hum Cup Jeetenge, Aap Car Jeetiye'. That's right. As many as 40 Hyundai Getz can be won by participants. Other gifts include Samsung E 800 mobile phones, cordless headphones and travel bags.

LG's gameplan is a bit different and apparently on a larger scale. For starters, LG claims that it is spending a whopping Rs 60 crore for the promo campaign, while Samsung's promo budget is to the tune of Rs 15-20 crore.

Instead of asking the TG to buy its products, LG is inviting people to make a guess. All viewers have to do is correctly identify the game, which features chain-mail armoured messrs Inzamam and Sourav. The bumper prize is the winner getting to play the game with the cricket-heroes. That apart, participants can win as many 100 LG products as prizes every day during the promotional offer. The TVC, made by Lowe, was shot at a stadium in the Kolkata suburbs and received a sizable media attention.

“I'm excited about the promo as it is different from the earlier offers. Do watch out for the LG campaign tomorrow,” says Salil Kapoor, head – marketing, LG.

About the Samsung promo campaign, Arun Mahajan, associate vice-president, Cheil Communications, says, “The current Jeet Lo Dil offer is in continuation of the Jeet Lo Dil campaign aired during the Samsung Cup series last year. It made perfect sense to continue with the same title as this match embodies the friendly spirit that our promo title reflects.”

According to the promo offer, on the purchase of a Samsung Flat TV, the consumer gets a 'Jeet Lo Dil' scratch card. Besides an assured gift, the consumer stands a chance to win a Hyundai Getz.

The promo campaigns will run on Doordarshan during the live cricket telecast and also on other mass and niche channels for a time period of two weeks. Expectedly, this media activity will be supported by a print campaign across all national and regional media.

An interesting aside: Even as LG and Samsung indulge in ambush-marketing and go all out to invite prospective buyers through cricketers-turned-brand ambassadors, Videocon – the official sponsor in the white-goods sector – is left high and dry. The question now is: Will Videocon react? Or, will it simply rely on Shah Rukh Khan to sell its wares, and look the other way?

© 2005 agencyfaqs!