In India cricket is religion and cricketers are gods. It is therefore next to impossible to launch any new game. Previous attempts at launching similar leagues for badminton and hockey had failed. So, could a 4,000-year-old, forgotten, rustic sport like kabaddi that is also dismissed by youth as a fuddy-duddy game, find an audience? Could kabaddi stand a chance against the immense popularity of cricket?

Our challenge was to change the image of kabaddi from an uncool sport to a cool one. We not only had to get youth to start watching kabaddi but also to start playing it.

First, we changed the dated look of the game and players and gave kabaddi a new identity - Pro Kabaddi. We got top Bollywood stars to buy teams and built buzz around their participation. As the buzz spread to their millions of fans, we launched a two-phase 360-degree campaign. The first phase created intrigue and buzz around Pro Kabaddi’s launch, presenting the slick new avatar of the game. Teaser commercials followed by their reveal showcased the high-energy and intensity of kabaddi. The second phase created an emotional connect with the message, 'Life is Kabaddi'.

Sustained PR and social media buzz ensured that in its first edition Pro-Kabaddi gained 436 million viewers making it the 2nd most watched sport in India after cricket. Kabaddi firmly became a part of popular culture inspiring cartoons and TV shows. But best of all, it inspired the youth of India to start playing kabaddi once again.

We launched an intensive two-phase campaign. The first phase created intrigue and buzz around Pro Kabaddi’s launch, presenting the cool new avatar. Teaser ads on digital media and TV followed by their reveal showcased the high-energy and intensity of the game. The viewers saw gritty, black & white, slick films showcasing the dramatic moves in slow-motion akin to an international contact sport like ‘Rugby’. We revealed the sport only after ensuring we had captivated the masses adequately.

The second phase of the campaign reconnected kabaddi to the people with an engaging message, 'Life is Kabaddi'.

With a light-hearted approach, we showed how many situations in our daily life are a lot like a game of kabaddi.

Engagement Plan:

Over a period of 6 weeks, we deployed an extensive multi-engagement media plan in order to drive

excitement from launch to the Finale of Pro Kabaddi.

Pro Kabaddi made Indian Television history by delivering unprecedented numbers for any sport besides cricket.

- Total viewership of 436 million (42% more than cricket IPL Season 1)*

- 10 times viewership of FIFA World Cup on opening day**

- 86.4 million, 1 of 4 Television Viewers saw the finale**

- A whopping $3 Million earned media

- Over 2 billion impressions, 200,000 conversations in social media

- 25% conversations initiated by women, indicating Pro Kabaddi's acceptance as family sport

- Nearly 25% youth tuned into Pro Kabaddi**

- Covered intentionally by Economist, Forbes, Financial Times, BBC, Wall Street Journal, among others

Sources:

*Extrapolated from TAM Panel, CS 4+, All India Pro Kabaddi – Star Sports & Star Gold, IPL Sony Max & Six

**TAM Panel CS 4+