Case Study: How EMotorad leveraged Dhoni's fanbase and a viral meme to reach 180Mn people

To authentically connect with Gen Z consumers in India, E-motorad combined a viral meme and one of the most loved Indian cricketers to go viral. Recognizing the importance of digital presence and influencer marketing, E-Motorad harnessed the power of social media to create a campaign that resonated with the younger and older demographics. Here's a case study on the campaign. 

Category Introduction

India's electric vehicle (EV) market is surging and electric cycles are paving the path. By 2024, the market is projected to reach $7.09 billion, with e-cycles growing at over 8% annually. Environmental concerns, government incentives, rising fuel costs, declining fossil fuels and a shift towards sustainable transport drive this trend, making e-cycles an integral part of the future of urban travel. As technology advances, particularly in battery and motor technology, the demand for e-cycles is set to rise further, keeping the market dynamic and exciting.

Brand Introduction 

EMotorad, an electric cycle company, was launched in 2020 to cater to adventure seekers, daily commuters, and casual riders. Headquartered in Pune, they now hold over 70% of India's e-cycle market share. Onboarding MS Dhoni as their investor and brand endorser catapulted EMotorad into the limelight in 2024. 

Summary

With a limited media budget, EMotorad realised that there was only one way to announce the massive news that MS Dhoni is now their investor and brand endorser—through a viral creative campaign. They aimed to create content the audience willingly searched, shared, and related to. 

Conceptualised by One Hand Clap (OHC), they leveraged the viral internet meme featuring a Dhoni-look-alike dancing to the tune of 'Bole Jo Koyal.' The creative campaign showcases MS Dhoni cruising on an EMotorad e-cycle, humming the BJK tune while two animated koyals highlight the e-bike's features.

Objectives 

The brand leverages MS Dhoni's credibility and widespread appeal as a brand ambassador and investor to enhance trust and confidence in EMotorad, which has created awareness by creating viral content that resonates with nationwide audiences, ensuring broad visibility and brand recognition.

Creative Brief

EMotorad tasked the agency with two clear objectives: First, the content needed to be informative, effectively explaining what an e-cycle is in a simple way that audiences across each tier understand. Second, it should be engaging and relatable, creating content that audiences would willingly consume, share, and enjoy.  

Creative Idea 

The campaign capitalised on traction gained by YouTube podcast host Ranveer Allahbadia, aka Beer Bicpeps, who asked cricketer Ishant Sharma if Dhoni was aware of his look-alike singing the song. The internet buzz surrounding this interaction presented a unique opportunity for EMotorad, which was seeking its first major marketing campaign.

Capitalising on this trend, EMotorad decided to give the internet what it wanted—Dhoni singing ‘Bole Jo Koyal.’ 

Challenges

The idea was in, however, its execution depended heavily on two big variables that were the biggest challenges for the brand—getting the rights to the song and convincing MSD to agree to the plan.

Execution

Through perseverance and strategy, EMotorad took the leap of faith. They sent their e-cycles to Dhoni to test the products. The team pitched the idea, and with his iconic mischievous smile, he asked, “kaunsa gaana hain ye?” He not only chimed in to become the company's brand endorser but also an investor himself. 

Social Media:

With a constrained media budget, the brand banked heavily on the video going viral. They collaborated with MSD’s close friend Suresh Raina to launch the video on Instagram. The video was then shared on their YouTube and X platforms, gaining traction across all platforms. 

On Instagram, the brand saw various brands like Zomato, Swiggy, Fevicol, Jeevansaathi, Zepto, and Blinkit chime in and add traction. On X, Mufaddal Vohra reposted the video, further enhancing the post's visibility. MSD riding the e-cycle was also captured by paparazzi media houses like Viral Bhaiyani, Bollywood Hungama, etc. The campaign swiftly caught the attention of meme pages, leading to a surge in user-generated content and amplifying its reach and engagement.

The campaign's virality extended beyond social media, with influencers and Twitter personalities discussing the video. Influencers like Darshan Magdum and Dipraj Jadhav created their ad versions, further boosting their reach.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dipraj Jadhav (@dipraj_jadhav_edits)

The campaign received significant media coverage and the DJ even played the iconic song in an IPL match featuring Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings. 

Results

• Instagram: 18+ million organic views, 1.6 million likes, 706K shares, and nearly 50% follower growth.

• YouTube: 7+ million organic views, 341K likes, and a 1500% increase in followers.

• Total Impressions: Surpassing 180 million organic impressions.

• Sales Impact: Post-campaign sales doubled, with a 650% surge in brand search activity.

• Dealer Impact: Offline dealers experienced the most significant boost, solidifying EMotorad as the "Dhoni wali e-cycle."

Aditya Oza, CMO and Co-founder of EMotorad said, “We had the opportunity to create something magical that would connect not just generations but also transcend geographical boundaries. Marketing shouldn’t feel like marketing; the audience should want to engage with the content because they choose to, not because they were forced to wait before skipping an ad. I believe we’ve achieved that with this campaign. Working with the Legend has been nothing short of a dream, and I salute his sportsmanship."