It’s finally THAT time of the year. The curtains will be raised over the 17th edition of India ka Tyohaar, the Indian Premier League (IPL) this Friday. And we can’t wait to be glued in front of our screens or cheer our lungs out in the stadiums for all the sixes into the stands, the fierce rivalries, and the nail-biting finishes.
But before this Manoranjan ka Baap starts this week, let’s hear the story of its inception from Piyush Pandey, the adman who has been an integral part of this mega event. Piyush, the former Chief Creative Officer for Ogilvy, told the story of how IPL came into being in his conversation with Gaurav Kapur on the Spotify podcast ‘22 Yarns’ (2019).
Piyush reminisced about his cricket playing days at the University of Delhi and the Rajasthan Ranji team. He revealed how in 1995 he was part of a team that wrote the first draft of a proposal that 13 years later would go on to become the sensation called ‘IPL’. Lalit Modi, who at that time had the franchise for Disney, had invited Piyush along with Arun Lal (former cricketer) and Amrit Mathur (veteran cricket administrator) to write the proposal for an NBA-like cricket league in India.
At that time, it was rejected by the BCCI and IPL wouldn’t see the light of the day until Lalit Modi became the Vice President of BCCI years later. Lalit asked them to update the proposal and the number of overs was reduced to 20 a side. It was done following the rising popularity of the T20 format after India’s win at the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup.
Do you remember the Indian Cricket League (ICL), the rival league to the IPL that came a year earlier and had much cooler team names? Pandey decodes the reason for the failure of ICL, revealing that it had to close down because of the resistance from BCCI. This meant no access to the grounds and the lack of a support system.
Piyush expressed his sheer amazement as initially, they could never imagine what a global phenomenon IPL would go on to become. He gave huge credit to BCCI for scaling the event and making it so enticing for the people.
A conversation with Piyush Pandey naturally delves into the realms of advertising as he reveals the story of how the first-ever campaign for IPL, Karmayudh came into being.
Piyush has been a master storyteller in the medium of advertising. With works like Cadbury’s ‘Dancing Girl’ and Four Square Cricket Gear, he is known for combining his two great loves, cricket and storytelling, to tell memorable narratives. So he grabbed this opportunity and went for the pitch where he was surprised to know that they had to come with sample work. Pandey managed to produce the lines, visuals, and music for the ad film Karmayudh within 24 hours with help from his brother Prasoon (veteran ad film director) and Ram Sampath (music director).
BCCI wanted a campaign to create awareness about this new property they were going to launch. This minute-long clip performed with Veer Rass and a powerhouse of energy did the perfect job of making people curious and excited about the new event.
Piyush narrated an endearing anecdote about his mother to convey how he realised what a big cultural phenomenon IPL had become. After the conclusion of the 1st season, his 80-year-old mother asked him ‘Kal se kya karenge?’ He said that if an old lady, who never had any interest in sports, could become so addicted to this event, it’s a no-brainer how it must have engrossed the whole nation under its spell.
Piyush Pandey has been one of my storytelling heroes in life. His seamless infusion of Indian culture to tell witty and entertaining brand stories makes his tales special. When he had to present Karmayudh in just 24 hours, he went back to his basics, writing a poem in Veer Rass which his father used to narrate to him. Sticking to his strength of telling stories rooted in Indian culture, he produced a truly inspirational piece of art.