Thums Up becomes worldwide partner at Tokyo Olympics 2020

With this partnership, Thums Up becomes first India origin beverage brand to partner with Olympics at the global level. As India enters its 100th year of participation at the global sporting games, Thums Up aims to celebrate the athletes who overcame tremendous odds to reach where they are today.

Arnab Roy, vice president and head-marketing, Coca-Cola India and South-West Asia said, “In line with our long history of partnering with major sporting events globally, our strategic partnership with the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, not only reinforces our long-standing commitment to refresh sports fans and enhance our consumers’ experiences but is also our way of standing in solidarity and saluting the exemplary courage that the athletes have displayed.”

The Coca-Cola Company has an eight-decade long association, with Olympic Games. Other sporting partnerships include four decades with FIFA and nearly 25 years with World Cup Rugby.

Meanwhile, as part of the Thums Up association, the beverage brand has already rolled out a marketing campaign featuring the athletes from the India squad.

Made by advertising agency Ogilvy India, the film shares a glimpse of the stories of struggle of Olympians – Bajrang Punia (wrestler), Manu Bhaker​ (shooter), Vikas Krishna Yadav (boxer), Deepika Kumari (archery), Atanu Das (archery), and the Indian Shooting Team that battled everyday odds to emerge victorious.

In the campaign, the protagonists show the pessimistic world a ‘thumbs down’ by turning an empty Thums Up bottle upside down against the backdrop of the inspirational tagline – ‘Toofan wahi jo sab palat de’ (loosely translated to the real storm is one that turns everything upside down). The uplifting tone of the campaign aligns well with Thums Up’s repositioned brand message of resilience and real heroism of everyday people.

Sukesh Nayak, chief creative officer, Ogilvy India said that the upside-down Thums Up logo is an idea that celebrates the thunder inside, the resilience and the fierce challenger spirit.

“This campaign truly reflects the mood of not just the athletes representing India at the Olympic Games but the entire nation. Every bottle in the hand of every consumer is now also their voice to ‘Palat’ all the naysayers who say what they can’t or shouldn’t do,” he added.

As part of the campaign, Thums Up will also launch special packaging.