Edelweiss has had a long-standing association with sports: Abhishek Gupta

As part of the lead up to the Olympic and with an objective to promote team spirit, Edelweiss has come out with a video featuring Saina Nehwal. It has also started a Twitter hashtag #iAmTeamIndia.

‘Nothing Means Anything’ is a video message by Saina Nehwal ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games, wherein she talks about how every sportsperson has struggled, sacrificed, and worked hard for the position they are in today. Their religion, their caste, their gender... nothing means anything in sports. The only thing that matters is that within the team, they have each other’s back, and that they are there to share each other’s wins and losses.

The video has been made by Ram Subramanian, the Mumbai based ad-filmmaker, artist and social commentator who re-defined dissent and gave voice to many.

Watch the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/voiceoframdotorg/videos/1291604647535510/

In an interaction with AdGully, Abhishek Gupta, Senior Vice President and Head – Marketing, Edelweiss Group, elaborates on the campaign, supporting the Indian Olympic team and more. Excerpts:

What is the genesis of the campaign – ‘Nothing means Anything’?
When we were shooting with our brand ambassador Saina Nehwal for our new brand campaign, she got talking about the Indian Olympic team. She expressed that when she looked back at her achievements and fame, and then looked at the sacrifices the rest of the team has made, she realised that the former does not mean anything. It is only the team that matters. Nothing else. The film looks to nurture support for the Indian Olympic team and that is Saina’s message to the country: #NothingMeansAnything.

Edelweiss and Team India for Rio Olympics – what is the brand connect?
Edelweiss has had a long-standing association with sports through our philanthropic arm, the EdelGive Foundation. Be it being associated with the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) since 2009 while nurturing and supporting talented athletes like Mary Kom (three years before she won her Olympic medal), or with recently signing on Saina Nehwal as our brand ambassador – Edelweiss has been at the forefront of supporting the cause of sports in India.

The Olympics brings together people from all walks of life, breaks down boundaries and builds a foundation of trust and integrity. The focus is on excellence. At Edelweiss, we are committed to building excellence: in business, in service, in offering prioritised needs-led high quality client solutions. Hence, there is a natural fit between Edelweiss and the Olympics. Supporting the Indian Team at this critical juncture is a compelling and winning proposition for both the Edelweiss Group and Team India.

Why Saina Nehwal for the campaign? Will you be using other athletes as well?
Edelweiss today is expanding its presence across India with its insurance, housing finance and credit businesses rapidly scaling up, while it continues to consolidate its leadership position in the capital markets. Saina is an inspirational icon widely recognised by people across all corners of India, which is one of the compelling reasons to associate with her. She also is our brand ambassador. We have all seen her commitment to the game, her unwavering focus, sheer hard work and mental discipline as she keeps getting better and better. All are qualities that we at Edelweiss strongly identify with and constantly practice.

We will be enlisting other athletes for upcoming ads, closer to the Olympic event.

Since the message talks about team spirit, don’t you think using sportspersons across disciplines would have had a stronger impact?
As the principal sponsor of the Indian Olympic team, we are committed to garnering support for our Olympians. We will be reaching out to more sportspersons.

Do you think the message, conveyed using just placards and no voice in a video almost 3 minutes long, might lose people’s interest?
The messaging comes out very strongly and keeps viewers glued to it – the silent video, in fact, makes a huge difference and a greater appeal. People usually perceive messages from a sportsperson as inspiring, as it speaks about his/her personal experiences and challenges, so there is an instant connect to it that keeps you going.

Apart from digital, what other media platforms are you using for this campaign?
Currently the campaign is running only on digital platforms – we are leveraging it on Twitter and Facebook to garner maximum visibility.

What is the duration of the campaign?
Since this campaign is around garnering support for the Indian Olympic team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, this campaign would run right up to the Olympics.