We were concerned about how MS Dhoni would react to ‘Bole Jo Koyal’ ad idea: Aditya Oza, EMotorad

Since Uppal Balu's viral dance beneath a cascading waterfall in 2019, many have noted the resemblance between the South Indian content creator and MS Dhoni, sparking widespread chatter. Fast forward to the present, Thala himself has lent his vocals to the iconic tune of Bole Jo Koyal in an advertisement, marking the remarkable evolution of this meme.

EMotorad, an electric bike brand, has launched a campaign featuring MS Dhoni, who has also now become an investor for the brand. 

The ad is written and produced by One Hand Clap, showcasing the former captain riding an EV bike, while two koyals (cuckoo birds) narrate the product features. 

Aditya Oza, co-founder and CMO, EMotorad says, “This was our first time spending this big into raising awareness for our brand. The creative agency was selected to create something that can resonate with fans while maintaining the integrity of our brand."

Oza adds that while curating the ad, the brand was cautious not to dilute its brand identity in pursuit of virality. 

The video ad on its official YouTube channel has garnered around 4.8 million views in just 2 weeks, moreover, it has gone viral on other social media platforms as well.  

“Our focus wasn’t solely on achieving virality, rather it was about creating content that can bring pride and happiness to us, and the fans. It was a dream for a company like ours to get MS Dhoni, and our team justified it with the work,” he answers.

Oza emphasised that the team was a bit intimidated by presenting the idea to MS Dhoni, as they were concerned about how the former captain would react to it.

“As for Dhoni singing the song, we kept our options open throughout the process. But Mahi was always game for anything and everything, and he enjoyed that part as well which we can witness in the campaign,” he adds.

The Pune-based brand has also acquired music rights from Falguni Pathak and Universal Music Group.  

He also mentions an incident during the ad shoot, where Dhoni was supposed to ride a bike for a specific duration, but he extended the ride as the former CSK captain was enjoying it, which concerned the security team of the player. 

EMotorad will launch one more campaign in the coming weeks.

MS Dhoni: Is he overused in ads?

During every IPL season, there’s a flood of ads featuring MS Dhoni, with almost every brand featuring the player during ad breaks. 

To stand out from this crowd, the brand chose to launch its ad campaign midway through the IPL season instead of at the beginning.

“This timing allowed us to carve out our own space, and capture the audience’s attention more effectively,” he mentions. 

The brand timed its ad release to avoid the clutter of big-budget ads featuring MS Dhoni.

EMotorad is targeting specific IPL matches, focusing on those where CSK plays. In the upcoming edition, the brand intends to significantly increase its IPL advertising budget.

Viral campaigns: Does the brand get overshadowed? 

One challenge faced with virality in ad campaigns is the risk of the brand being overshadowed in the broader conversation surrounding the campaigns.

Oza explains, “We initially feared that the brand might get lost amidst the viral moment. However, there was a significant uptick across various metrics from organic search results to overall campaign performance. All this was received without investing heavily in media spend.”

Given the nature of the product, which isn’t typically impulse buy, considering the starting price of the EMotorad’s e-bikes at Rs 24,999, the brand saw a 300% increase in sales within two weeks of the campaign launch. 

The campaign with Freddy from 'Animal'

Before the Bole Jo Koyal campaign, the brand launched a campaign emulating a famous movie scene from the Rashmika Mandanna and Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal. In the ad, the actor who played ‘Freddy’ in the movie took centre stage with an electric cycle, accompanied by a group of mesmerised Gen Z-s.

For the campaign, Daddy Roasts Gen-Z, the brand was initially planning to onboard Tapu Sena from Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah to build deeper connections with tier-2 and 3 audiences, which eventually didn’t happen. 

TG and channel

The TG of the brand encompasses teenagers, health enthusiasts, and consumers seeking a blend of health and lifestyle benefits. “Health is a primary motivator for both segments, whether for commuting or overall well-being,” Oza explains.

From the channel perspective, the brand has partnered with 250 dealers across the country. While offline sales hold the upper hand in the automobile category, there’s a fluctuation of offline to online sales, ranging from 60-40% to 80-20%.

The brand’s website is currently acting as a cataloguing and engagement tool, focusing on educating consumers and facilitating test bookings. 

EMotorad's products for kids, such as foldable electric kick scooters, are available both online and offline at Hamleys, a toy store.  With this, the brand is exploring options to enter into the gifting segment.