“This is the first time we are doing such an association… sports in India is no longer just about cricket,” said Abhishek Khaitan, MD of spirits brand Radico Khaitan. “We have signed up as official spirits partner for India House, to cater to global tourists.” India House, being set up by Reliance Foundation and the Indian Olympic Association in Paris, has been envisaged as a cultural centre.
Athletes Consistently Visible
Others who have signed up include Aditya Birla Group, Borosil, HerbalLife, Inox Leisure, Yes Bank and Bharat Petroleum Corp.
At over Rs 50 crore, IOA’s revenue from Paris sponsorships has doubled from that of the Tokyo Olympics.
Sponsorships span the gamut of deliverables, from logo display on official uniforms as with JSW, to equipping athletes with gear or kits, such as Puma.
“We are swamped by queries from brands looking to soft-block medal probables, since the athletes are not available (now) or are in training,” said Rahul Trehan, chief operating officer at talent management agency IOS Sports and Entertainment, which is handling marketing for IOA. “We haven’t seen this sort of eagerness by Indian brands for non-cricket sports and it’s very encouraging.”
Global Olympic sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Omega and Samsung are also doing India-specific deals.
In the Game
Athletes such as Neeraj Chopra, Manika Batra, Rohan Bopanna, PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain and Mirabai Chanu have remained consistently visible in terms of brand association, unlike the past, when they were seen only during competition time, said industry executives.
Tokyo javelin gold medallist Chopra, for instance, has been at the forefront of brand deals, one of the biggest and newest being Swiss luxury watch maker Omega. “India is a top 10 market for Omega and we are very focused here,” said Raynald Aeschlimann, president and chief executive of Omega, which is the official timekeeper for the Paris Olympics.
In Paris, there are also new tie-ups such as ‘spirits partner’ and ‘ceremonial kits partner.’
Celebrated designer Tarun Tahiliani has worked on the ceremonial dress for the Indian team under Aditya Birla Group label Tasva — the first time a high-profile name has associated in this way. Tahiliani joins the likes of Christian Louboutin, Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren, who have designed uniforms for Olympic athletes.
Representatives of the athletes said queries from brands seeking tactical or long-term campaigns have surged from two or three per top name before Tokyo, to at least a dozen now.
Executives said they expect the sport stars to exceed India’s highest Olympic medal haul of seven in Tokyo. “We are confident our athletes will do better than the previous Olympics,” said Jayen Mehta, managing director of dairy major Amul, one of the event sponsors. “Apart from the sponsorship, we plan to establish a grassroot connect with athletes, since many of the top performers come from smaller towns.”
Big Scores
An executive at a media buying company said the fee charged by the athletes for endorsements has doubled since Tokyo. “Rates for short video reels have surged to Rs 2-6 lakh, depending on the athletes,” he said.
Puma will provide over 40 Indian athletes with footwear and accessories and has roped in badminton player PV Sindhu, hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and javelin thrower Kishore Jena, said Karthik Balagopalan, managing director of the India unit of German sports footwear and apparel maker, which is the team’s official footwear partner for the Paris Olympics.
Reliance Foundation has signed sports tech company Dream Sports as principal partner for India House. Dream Sports’ portfolio of brands such as Dream11, FanCode and DreamSetGo, will be involved with the Olympics at different stages. “We aim to make premium sporting events and experiences more accessible, and this association allows us to bring the multi-sport event to the Indian market,” said Monish Shah, founder of DreamSetGo.
The event will be the third Olympics that JSW is involved with, said Prashant Rao, executive vice-president, brand, at the group.
Aditya Birla Capital, said in a press note that the official sponsor of Team India is showing support through marketing campaigns across print, digital, OTT platforms, outdoor and social media. The financial services company plans to showcase the athletes’ individual stories of struggle and how they overcame them. “We are excited to partner with the IOA,” Vishakha Mulye, chief executive said.
The Paris Olympics is scheduled to be held from July 26 to August 11. India’s team has 117 members.
