Former Indian Premier League (IPL) partner the Unacademy Centre has partnered with Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar for a new March brand campaign called ‘The Power Behind You’ that leverages the start of the 2024 IPL to empower students.
Created by advertising agency Lowe Lintas and led by a hero spot starring test cricket’s all-time leading run scorer, the film shines a spotlight on why success for students isn’t just a matter of hard work, but also about benefiting from the right support and encouragement.
This centerpiece film was shot at an Unacademy Centre and depicts Tendulkar alongside teachers from the company and shows them offering support to a student preparing for a major exam. The ad’s narrative focuses on the student’s journey: from her arrival, to receiving encouragement from Tendulkar alongside a team of supporters and teachers. It highlights various aspects of exam preparation and underscores the motivational support provided by Unacademy educators and their teaching methodologies.
The campaign’s core message is that collaborative efforts lead to achieving excellence and that with the backing of Unacademy Centres learners can overcome their fears and doubts, fueled with determination to succeed.
The commercial’s musical score and soundscape is reminiscent of a packed cricket stadium cheering for Tendulkar as it seeks to reinforce the theme of the unwavering support the company’s centres provide for their students.
‘Unacademy Centre – The Power Behind You’ dropped across TV, digital and social platforms from 20 March and runs with the tagline ‘There was the power of a billion people cheering Sachin. Let Unacademy Centre be the power behind you.’
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“In every challenge in my career, I found strength in the collective cheer and belief of a billion people. This profound support was more than just encouragement, it powered me to push boundaries. I see a parallel in the ambitions of young learners and Unacademy Centre’s endeavour to support them through their journey to success resonates with me on a personal level. I am happy to be on the other side, cheering on these young aspirants.”
Indian Cricket Legend Sachin Tendulkar
“At Unacademy Centre, our mission is to empower and inspire every learner. Partnering with Sachin Tendulkar on this campaign is a testament to our mission to be the relentless force behind the aspirations of every student in this country. His journey symbolises the resilience and excellence we nurture and embodies the spirit of our campaign, ‘The Power Behind You’. We want every learner to know that they have the powerful support system championing their dreams.”
Unacademy Centres COO Jagnoor Singh
This campaign is informed by research showing rising pressure felt by students in India in regard to their academic performance and that this has serious implications for their mental health and well-being.
Statistics show student suicides have risen substantially over the years: increasing by 70% between 2011 and 2021.
The idea here is that by partnering with a nationally admired, influential, successful and respected ambassador like Tendulkar helps the brand promote understanding among parents and families and helps its drive change in educational approaches with a focus on the importance for institutions and educators to create supportive environments that allow students to achieve success and to cope with failures and see them as positive challenges rather than unrecoverable setbacks.
This follows on from previous Unacademy marketing initiatives focusing on cricket such as its 2022 ‘Life Lessons’ series with MS Dhoni, its 2021 ‘Learn From Mistakes’ initiative and 2021’s Tendulkar fronted ‘The Greatest Lesson’.