Orbit 12th Man: Increasing the size of IPL teams

The confectionary brand is betting its money on below-the-line initiatives to strike the right note with its TG and drive participation for Orbit 12th Man

IPL may be in the news for all the right or wrong reasons but it is certainly proving to be an attractive platform for marketers to connect with their target group. Following the same principle, confectionary brand Wrigley has launched a contest, titled Orbit 12th Man, to use the reach of the tournament to engage with customers.

Leveraging the SMS platform, the contest allows a fan to be the 12th member of an IPL team - literally by flying with the team, staying in the same hotel, watching the matches and post the field action, being a part of the after-match parties.

Orbit 12th Man: Increasing the size of IPL teams

With the commencement of the third edition of IPL in March, Wrigley's flooded 1.2 million retail outlets across the country with two crore special edition packs of Orbit - each with a unique scratch code. This code is SMSed to a number, making the participant eligible to be chosen as the 12th man in a random lucky draw. Besides, there are assured prizes such as T-shirts, key chains, miniature bats and poster sets with each pack. By the end of the contest, 49 winners will be announced, who will spend a day with different teams.

The special edition packs are also available at Cafe Coffee Day outlets across the country.

Radio Mirchi, the radio partner for the contest, is conducting on ground activities across the six metros to encourage participation. By scratching the code at the canters, a participant can win a wild card entry for the lucky draw.

Also, promoters sporting Orbit 12th Man jerseys are present at sports bars across the main metros to engage consumers in the campaign, displaying the orbit special edition packs on branded kiosks.

While 2.5 lakh SMSes have been received so far, with the canter and sports bar activation, Wrigley claims to have directly contacted more than 50,000 consumers.

On the digital front, a Facebook fan page has been created, which also has a parallel contest called Khushi Sey Pagal, wherein fans are encouraged to send in their favourite Khushi Sey Pagal photograph and win prizes ranging from Wrigley merchandise to cricket match passes or even a bat signed by the players of an IPL team.

Speaking about the campaign, Himanshu Khanna, director, marketing, Wrigley India, says, "With the IPL excitement reaching greater heights this season, it was an obvious decision for both our leading brands to initiate a consumer engagement programme designed with brand essence and consumer interest as the focal points. The success of these distinct campaigns is due to their innovative strategy of 360 degree marketing, which has struck a chord with the consumers."

The outdoor campaign for the initiative involves use of hoardings and bus shelters at strategic and high traffic zones in nine cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. An innovation has also been implemented, where cut outs saying 'Be the Orbit 12th Man', the SMS code and the chewing gum pack are used to highlight the main concept. To give an extra effect, neon lights have been used to draw attention to the SMS code.

For the record, Wrigley's is the official chewing gum (Orbit) and bubble gum (Boomer) partner for all the IPL teams, excluding Bangalore Royal Challengers, which is not a part of this contest.

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