India is Bleeding Blue this Cricket World Cup

Just hours before the Cricket World Cup as team India takes on Sri Lanka in the finals at Mumbai, the whole country is cheering for the team India that “Bleeds Blue”. Six months since its official launch, the “Bleed Blue” campaign by Nike has garnered millions of supporters online as of today.

The “Bleed Blue” campaign was launched with an aim to take the passion of millions of cricket fans in India to the next level. Nike managed to do so by proving that ‘Blue’ is not just a color; it is a billion hopes, dreams and aspirations, fueling a cricket crazy nation.

With its marketing initiative, “Bleed Blue” has collected over 11 million handprints on their website where fans came together to express their loyalty for team India by simply marking their handprint in blue. Through Facebook connect, fans were able to post their unique handprint on their Facebook wall and share it with their friends. In addition, users could also showcase their creativity by submitting their own version of “Bleed Blue” theme that is hosted on the Bleed Blue online gallery.

Here is a quick look at the promotional video:

Nike has also recently announced an extension of this campaign by introcuding a 60 second television commercial featuring top cricketers from team India. The video positioned as the “Bleed Blue Pledge” showcased the amount of passion India has for cricket. Sanjay Gangopadhyay, marketing director, Nike India said, ”The ad is yet another milestone in Nike’s deep connection to cricket in India and we are confident that it will stir the emotions of Bleed Blue.”

Take a look at the 60 second TV commercial:

Gathering support from more than 11 million people on its website and 1 million people on their Facebook page is quite an achievement. Nike known for its viral marketing campaigns has once again hit the right notes, at least in my opinion. Pizza Hut and RockeTalk are also some businesses which have ridden on this year Cricket World Cup buzz.