Pepsi Change The Game: 3^rd TVC With Pietersen

Conceptualized by Taproot India, the latest commercial hits TV screens today; watch the TVC here.

Hitesh Ranot | Delhi | February 2, 2011

Pepsi's Change the Game campaign for the upcoming Cricket World Cup, celebrates the new, unorthodox yet immensely popular face of modern cricket through a series of ad films conceptualized by Taproot India. After Mahendra Singh Dhoni's game changing move, the Helicopter Shot and Harbhajan Singh's Doosra; the new commercial focuses on English cricketer, Kevin Pietersen's signature shot – the Switch Hit. In the ad, Anshuman Jha teaches Pietersen how to play the switch hit aka the Palti Hit using watermelons (Tarbooza).

Anshuman may not be the typical Bollywood hero with chocolate boy looks or a ramp model but is making all the right moves… After dazzling film-buffs with his sincere performance in 'Love Sex aur Dhoka' last year; 25-year old Anshuman Jha now has a Pepsi commercial in his kitty.

A former cricketer himself, Jha has played for Delhi for the Under-16 and Under-19 teams. He had a great time making Pietersen lift hundreds of watermelons on the sets. Speaking about the experience, he said, “I enjoy watching cricket and the campaign really intrigued me as it celebrates everything that is new and unorthodox about cricket. I had a great time shooting with Kevin and he was completely chilled out on the sets, despite doing all the hard work of lifting and throwing watermelons, the way he plays his famous switch hit. The lesson I teach him in the film goes like this - Take Tarbooza, Put Inside, Alti-Palti De Ghooma Ke”.

The irreverent and fun ad film for which Pietersen had to lift over a hundred watermelons, hits the TV screens on February 2. Here's what Kevin Pietersen has to say about the thought behind Change The Game and his game changing shot, the Switch Hit:

On Change The Game:

“Change the Game to me means constantly trying to bring something new and something fresh to what you do. In the current highly competitive scenario, it's really important to surprise the opposition with unexpected actions and to change the face of the game by pushing the boundaries. Cricket is a sport that has evolved so much and being a part of that evolution… bringing something new when we play… keeps the fun alive, not only for us but for the fans as well. That's the campaign that Pepsi is running at the moment – Change The Game.”

The Switch Hit - my game changing move:

“I spend hours and hours in the nets, practicing the Switch Hit, trying to perfect it. I have perfected it a couple of times in the game situations. But yes, it's something new, something fresh, it's a game changing shot. I remember we were playing against New Zealand a couple of years ago; Scott Styris was bowling off-cutters at me with a packed leg-side field, the only way to hit a boundary being the orthodox way. I could either play straight or take a risk by hitting over the fielders. I decided to apply all the practice and the preparation that I had done for the switch-hit. I knew that if I will hit it, it will land in a safe area and if I miss hit, I will probably be outside the line of off-stump. It went on well the first time. The next time I switched, Styris was clever and bowled a slow delivery. This time it came out as a better shot as I had time to hold my stance and power the ball away.”

Game changers I admire:

“There are a few players I admire as game changers today. Virender Sehwag is one of them, he opens the batting and you know as an opposing player that within 10-15 overs of a test match or 10-15 overs of a one day international, the man can change the game. Another game changer is Chris Gayle from the Caribbean, who does a similar job as Sehwag. These are the two guys I love watching and love playing against.”

What I learnt while shooting for the campaign:

“I learnt that the Switch Hit can be taught using watermelons… the Hindi jingle goes like this... Take Tarbooza Put Inside, Alti-Palti De Ghooma Ke…”

My message for Youngistaan:

“Push the boundaries and be a Game Changer”

Hitesh@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com