Indian companies are slowly making a dent on the world stage. Tata Motors has roped in international soccer superstar Lionel Messi as its brand ambassador. This will be the first Indian brand promoted by Messi, who’s among the highest paid athletes in the world.
“We chose football because all our research and surveys prove that football is the new ‘cool’ and the current generation connects better with football. Soccer has a huge following in India and Messi is in a different league, making him the apt choice with his unique ability to appeal globally, transcending geographies, to represent our brand, internationally.”, said Mayank Pareek from Tata Motors. Having Messi on board will also enhance the 70-year-old company’s cool factor, he added.
The campaign has been conceptualized by Ogilvy’s agency Soho Square. “Tata Motors was embarking on a brand transformation journey and the core task was to increase brand relevance amongst the under 35 consumer.”, said Kunal Jeswani, CEO Ogilvy Group
Tata Motors would be the first Indian brand endorsed by the Argentina-born Messi (28). Messi had earlier visited India with the Argentinian team, and had played an international friendly in Kolkata.