The Indian Premier League (IPL), a global cricket spectacular, enthrals fans around the world with its high-octane matches and star-studded lineups.
This season, PGI India’s Men of Platinum, in collaboration with ESPNcricinfo, plans to enhance the fan experience by reinstating the famous ‘Direct Hit’ content IP. Building on the success of its debut at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, ‘Direct Hit’ hopes to make the IPL 2024 season more exciting. The content series, hosted by Raunak Kapoor and Yash Jha and featuring cricket gurus such as Irfan Pathan, Ravi Shastri, Tom Moody, Wasim Jaffer, Harbhajan Singh, Sanjay Manjrekar, Aaron Finch, Mitch Mclenaghan, and Matthew Hayden, focuses on identifying the ‘Man of Platinum‘ during critical matches. It’s a title that focuses on players who demonstrate exceptional fortitude, resilience, self-belief, and perseverance, all of which are as rare as platinum. This season, the company takes this initiative a step further by giving fans the opportunity to win tickets to see their favorite IPL teams live in action.
To participate, all cricket fans are urged to estimate who will earn the ‘Man of Platinum‘ title before certain matches via the brand’s social media handles. The right guesses could result in winning match tickets. ‘Direct Hit’, hosted on ESPNcricinfo across 22 select matches and promoted by ESPN and Men of Platinum accounts, encourages fans to use their cricket knowledge to win a chance to experience the action live.
Sujala Martis, Consumer Marketing Director, Platinum Guild International (PGI) – India, commented on the content marketing initiative, saying, “We are thrilled to announce our continued cooperation with ESPNcricinfo for the debut of the second edition of our content IP ‘Direct Hit’ during IPL 2024. This program highlights our brand’s position on the importance of character and values in the fast-paced, competitive nature of the game. Every game tests not just the players’ abilities, but also their character, which reflects our ethos. We’re not simply rewarding the ‘Man of Platinum‘ in each match; we’re also honoring the spirit of sportsmanship that defines the game and asking spectators to participate in this story.”
Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Officer and Office Head, West, North, and East, Wavemaker India, stated, “Through the ‘Direct Hit’ series, jointly delivered with ESPNcricinfo, we demonstrate our commitment to working on innovative and engaging content.” Despite being cricket fans ourselves, we’re thrilled to be a part of such an exciting relationship that not only brings spectators closer to the action, but also encourages them to participate actively. Such a relationship demonstrates our dedication to providing immersive experiences for our viewers and fostering meaningful connections in the world of sports partnerships.”