The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup 1996 was the sixth Cricket World Cup organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The tournament winner was Sri Lanka, who defeated Australia by seven wickets in the final match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.
While it was an intense competition that took place on the grounds of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, off the field, an intense marketing battle was taking place between the two massive soft drink brands, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The World Cup happening in the subcontinent, served as a significant occasion for both companies for their brand building. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Thums up all were trying to become the official sponsor for the tournament.
Eventually, Coca-Cola put down Rs 10 crore for the right to become the official sponsor for the 1996 World Cup. On the other hand, Ramesh Chauhan’s Thums Up looked prepared to overshadow its arch-rival in the battle for gaining maximum eyeballs inside stadiums and on television. They had an innovative TVC for their campaign, sung by the esteemed Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and featured bright, colourful and busy roads of India.
Meanwhile, the agency of Pepsi, J Walter Thompson, thought of an out-of-the-box marketing idea that turned the tables on its opponents, Coca-Cola and Thums up. When Coca-Cola became the official drink of the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Pepsi responded by launching a campaign having prominent faces in the sport of cricket, like Sachin Tendulkar sipping Pepsi and saying, “Nothing Official About It.”
Usually, it said cricket was played in whites by gentlemen, wherein reality, the cricketers played in coloured uniforms for the tournament. Thus to show contrast, the cricketers were shown hooting and going complete maniac over their victory. They were not behaving classy or ‘gently’ in any way. The Pepsi ads had cricketers and even officials rejecting the official drink and favouring the unofficial one, Pepsi. It even featured the respected umpire Dicky Bird going in a frenzy. Even though Pepsi was not the official sponsor of the World Cup, the ad left an indelible mark on the psyche of fans.
To celebrate this marketing genius of Pepsi, KarmaPlay is hosting a Marketing Mania Quiz. Play it away!