BCCI onboards Campa as central sponsor

In a recent development, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) giant Reliance Consumer Products' Campa, has sealed the deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to onboard itself as one of the sponsors for all the home series. With this partnership, Campa will acquire pouring rights, on-ground presence, and beverage partnership for BCCI home matches as part of the multi-year contract.

Campa is an old Indian beverage brand, which got re-launched last year amid a dramatic revival following a INR 22-crore acquisition from Mukesh Ambani's FMCG arm. The deal between the BCCI and Reliance-owned brand strengthens the hold of the organization in Indian cricket scene after JioCinema, another subsidiary brand of the blue-chip firm, secured the streaming & broadcasting rights for Indian cricket's home matches, including the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“We are delighted to become the official partner of BCCI for India-based cricket events. This partnership not only gives us an opportunity to forge a strong connection with a billion Indian fans but will also help us reach cricket lovers and communities worldwide. With Campa being an iconic heritage homegrown beverage brand, which offers the Great Indian Taste, it is uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of cricket fandom and bring authentic Indian taste to cricket fans,” said a spokesperson for Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL).

According to The Economic Times' report, Campa's sponsorship will abstain other major competitive brands owned by The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo. One of the executives aware of the deal told that different variants offered by Campa will be promoted in a far-flung manner through advertisements and endorsements during the broadcast of India's home matches.

“Any such exclusive cricket sponsorship is a significant benefit for brands, given the reach and following cricket has in India. Reliance, which had launched Campa Cricket last year in September as a cricket-themed lemon-flavoured sports-based carbonated drink, is expected to be leveraged extensively along with other Campa variants, as part of the partnership,” the executive said.

Currently, star Indian cricketers like Ishan Kishan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, and Suryakumar Yadav endorse Campa, leading to speculations of a significant rise in consumption of the brand through the latest partnership. With the summer in India just round the corner, the two-month long IPL 2024 might bring a soaring presence of Campa across the country, as the beverage market is still dominated by foreign giants.

With the understanding already signed, India's upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, followed by five Tests against England might see Campa debuting with the apex cricketing body for both white-ball and red-ball formats in the month of January itself.