War of the colas: Coke to keep Pepsi off screen during IPL

Soft drinks major Coca Cola has pulled off an on-air coup against arch rival Pepsi in much anticipated upcoming IPL.

Soft drinks major Coca Cola has pulled off an on-air coup against arch rival Pepsi in the much anticipated upcoming T20 Indian Premier Leauge (IPL) by successfully signing as one of the associate sponsors with broadcaster Set Max.

According to industry sources, Coca Cola has paid anywhere between Rs 16-20 crore for one year for the series giving it direct access to prime-time on the channel, enabling the company to advertise exclusively its entire portfolio during the 44 day event beginning April 18.

As a result, Pepsi which paid a hefty sum of 12.5 million dollars (about Rs 50 crore) to become the official on-ground sponsor, will not be able to air its commercials during the matches.

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Pepsi had recently launched its Youngistaan TV campaign featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone for the season, while Coke also introduced a variety of campaigns for different products featuring Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar.

Pepsi also has leading cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni, Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma, in its list of brand ambassadors.

It has been the one of the main sponsors of India’s domestic cricket tournaments for many years and has also been associated with the International Cricket Council (ICC) as the global sponsor.