In categories where the product quite literally keeps the world moving, marketing has often stayed…parked. For decades, automotive brands relied on distribution muscle, dealer push, and spec sheets that read more like engineering manuals than stories people feel. But as screens replaced showrooms and audiences began demanding meaning over mechanics, the rules quietly started shifting. The question now isn’t just how well a tyre performs-but how deeply a brand connects when no one is actively thinking about tyres at all.
That shift sits at the heart of Apollo Tyres’ recent storytelling pivot, where campaigns are no longer built to sell a product, but to embed the brand into moments of resilience, ambition, and cultural pride.
In this conversation, Udyan Ghai, Group Head – Marketing, Apollo Tyres, unpacks what legacy categories need to urgently unlearn, why attention today is earned through resonance, not reach, and how long-format storytelling, even in a low-involvement category, can quietly build disproportionate impact.
Excerpts from the conversation:
In legacy categories like automotive, what’s one marketing belief or practice that you think brands need to urgently unlearn?
I believe one critical marketing practice that brands in legacy categories like automotive urgently need to unlearn is the sole reliance on traditional B2B distribution channels and a purely product-feature-driven narrative, often neglecting direct and deep engagement with the end-consumer. For too long, the industry operated on the assumption that robust dealer networks and the intrinsic quality of our products – be it tyres, cars, or spare parts – were sufficient to drive sales and maintain loyalty. Communication primarily focused on technical specifications, durability, and performance, channeled through trade platforms and broad mass-media campaigns.
However, the modern landscape demands a profound shift. Brands must now prioritise contemporary consumption habits and acknowledge that consumers are digitally empowered, highly informed, and actively seek authentic stories and genuine connections.
The product reaching the dealership is a vital piece of the puzzle, but the overall approach must become fundamentally consumer-first. This entails leveraging data for personalised engagement, building vibrant communities around shared values, telling an emotional brand story that resonates deeply, and offering seamless, delightful experiences across every touchpoint – from initial research to post-purchase support and beyond.
What does “high-impact storytelling” mean to you today – especially when audiences are constantly exposed to content?
To me, high-impact storytelling means crafting narratives that evoke profound emotion and leave a lasting impression, while subtly but effectively conveying a brand’s core message. In a landscape saturated with content, it’s about breaking through the noise not with volume, but with resonance. It requires creating content that truly engages, inspires, or evokes a deep sense of belonging – transforming passive viewing into an active emotional experience. It’s about building a connection that lingers long after the screen goes dark, making the brand synonymous with a genuine feeling or aspiration.
“Har Safar Mein Dum Hain” feels less like a campaign and more like a narrative – what was the first emotional thread you wanted the audience to feel before even thinking of the brand?
That was precisely our intention. We wanted “Har Safar Mein Dum Hai” to resonate deeply by eliciting a feeling of shared human aspiration and the profound journey of overcoming challenges. Before any brand association, we wanted the audience to connect with the raw, emotional power of resilience, performance, and the pursuit of dreams, exemplified by our Team India players.
Our goal wasn’t to merely place logos, but to embed Apollo Tyres within the very fabric of these inspiring personal narratives. When you see Virat traveling for practice, Shubman shadow batting with a tyre, or even tyres strategically placed behind the wicket in Arshdeep’s segment, these are deliberate integrations. They subtly underscore the role of endurance and steadfastness – values intrinsic to both the players’ journeys and Apollo Tyres’ “Go The Distance” ethos. We aimed to forge an authentic, emotional bond, making the audience feel inherently connected to Team India’s spirit and Apollo Tyres.
When you’re working with icons like Sachin, Virat, and Rohit, how do you ensure the story doesn’t get overshadowed by their stardom?
The narrative isn’t about their existing stardom as much as it is about the incredible human journey to that stardom. It highlights the foundational self-belief, the unwavering support from their families, and the sheer grit that allowed these individuals to overcome immense obstacles.
Their celebrity status, far from overshadowing their journey, is a testament to the perseverance and endurance they exhibited. At Apollo Tyres, we believe that true stardom is a consequence of enduring and excelling, embodying our “Go The Distance” philosophy. This film thoughtfully humanizes these legends, making their path relatable and inspiring, thereby ensuring the profound story behind their success shines through.
This film taps into resilience and national emotion – how do you balance authenticity with the risk of it feeling overly constructed or ‘advertising-led’?
Building on national emotion was a natural and strategic decision, especially with the film launching right before the men’s T20 World Cup. The theme of resilience is deeply ingrained in Apollo Tyres’ “Go The Distance” ethos, forming a seamless and authentic connection.
Our balance stemmed from focusing on genuine human stories of struggle and triumph rather than manufactured sentiment. The strength of our association as the lead sponsor of the Team India jersey allowed for organic integration, where the brand truly became a part of the national narrative, not just an observer. We intentionally tapped into the prevailing high emotions and the defending champions’ status, not to merely capitalize, but to offer audiences a deeper appreciation for the immense journey and dedication of each player, thereby making the brand’s presence feel earned and meaningful.
In a time where most branded content is optimised for short formats, what gave you the confidence to tell a 3+ minute story?
Our confidence in a 3+ minute story stems from a fundamental belief: compelling content transcends length. While attention spans are indeed more selective, they are not inherently shrinking when the narrative offers genuine emotional resonance and value. We knew we had a powerful, emotionally charged story to tell – one that explores the human spirit of perseverance and ambition.
In a nation where cricket is revered and its players are icons, delving into their backstories, particularly before a major event like the World Cup, had the power to forge a much deeper, more tangible bond with audiences. The sheer impact of these narratives, combined with the strategic timing, assured us that the content was riveting enough to earn and sustain viewer engagement, proving that depth can still command attention.
My conviction is that attention spans aren’t truly shrinking; rather, they are becoming far more discerning and selective. Audiences gravitate towards content that delivers genuine emotional resonance and value, choosing quality over endless scrolling.
Tyres are often seen as a low-involvement category- what made Apollo Tyres invest in a high-emotion, high-production brand film at this scale?
Apollo Tyres operates on conviction – if we commit, we do so wholeheartedly. While tyres are often perceived as a low-involvement category, they are fundamental to life’s defining journeys, from rural commutes to urban sprints. We recognised an opportunity to transcend this perception by showcasing the inherent importance of tyres in a deeply human context, both literally and metaphorically.
This high-production film was a strategic investment to redefine how consumers engage with our brand, embedding the raw resilience and perseverance that directly aligns with our “Go The Distance” ethos, mirroring Team India’s grit.
Cinematic storytelling at this scale is crucial for building emotional equity and unifying diverse audiences. Our ambition was global; we wanted these powerful stories of our cricketers to resonate across our 100+ markets, demanding culturally authentic content that blends performance, safety, and endurance innovation. Cricket’s unparalleled emotional scale amplifies our omnichannel impact, driving engagement across social platforms, stadium visibility, and traditional media, fostering dealer pride and ultimately, consumer connection.
Today, brands are competing not just with competitors but with content itself- what does it take to truly earn attention, not just capture it?
Earning attention today is indeed the paramount challenge. It transcends merely capturing eyeballs; it’s about inviting audiences to genuinely immerse themselves in narratives that are authentically human, culturally relevant, and ultimately, become their preferred choice. What does it truly take? Firstly, the content must be a genuine ‘gift’ – it must spark an emotion, offer value, whether by inspiring, teaching, entertaining, or solving a real problem.
Otherwise, it’s just noise. Secondly, it demands a deep understanding of the audience: who they are, what drives them. When you truly grasp their world, you craft stories that resonate authentically, making them feel seen and understood. Finally, unwavering authenticity is non-negotiable. People instinctively detect disingenuousness. When a brand’s story is honest and its message is deeply believed, that foundation of trust cultivates lasting connections, far beyond fleeting, passive views.
A lot of brand films today look cinematic but feel interchangeable- what, in your view, separates culturally impactful storytelling from just “well-produced” advertising?
A “well-produced” advertisement often excels in aesthetics: brilliant shots, slick editing, a clear message. It might be highly efficient in delivering information, yet it can feel templated, like an instruction manual – proficient, but lacking a genuine soul. Such films, while competent, are often quickly forgotten. Culturally impactful storytelling, on the other hand, is entirely different. It delves deeper, unearthing universal human truths and the profound “why” behind them.
It connects on a visceral, emotional level, making you feel something profound. It dares to challenge, to inspire, and to reflect the collective spirit of a community or nation.
It takes risks, champions authenticity, and sparks real conversations that resonate long after the viewing experience. It’s the critical distinction between a quick, transactional engagement and a lasting, transformative connection. It’s about heart and soul, not just surface-level polish.
With AI and templatised content on the rise, do you think originality in advertising is becoming harder to achieve- or just harder to recognise?
I believe AI, when approached thoughtfully, is a powerful accelerant for human creativity, not a replacement. If we learn to harness its capabilities effectively, it can significantly enhance our creative processes by generating insights and automating tasks, allowing human strategists and creatives to focus on higher-order thinking – infusing their unique life experiences, cultural understanding, and emotional intelligence into the work.
The challenge isn’t necessarily that originality is harder to achieve with AI, but rather that the sheer volume of AI-generated or AI-assisted content can make truly original, human-driven work harder to recognise amidst the noise.
The onus is on brands to ensure their narratives are imbued with unmistakable human insight and a distinct emotional signature that AI cannot replicate, thus proving its inherent value.
In a performance-driven marketing world, how do you internally justify long-format storytelling and brand-led investments?
While performance marketing is undeniably crucial for immediate returns, we firmly believe that long-format storytelling, such as our “Har Safar Mein Dum Hai” film, builds the essential emotional foundation that sustains and amplifies performance efforts. Internally, we justify these investments through a full-funnel framework: robust brand awareness and emotional equity at the top of the funnel directly fuel consideration and conversion rates further down.
In a world often fixated on quick ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), we present compelling data demonstrating how emotional equity derived from high-impact narratives, particularly those with the scale of our BCCI partnership, can drive significant lifts – for example, we’ve seen 20-30% increases in dealer conversions and enhanced premium segment share.
Short-term tactics effectively address commoditised purchases, but for a brand like Apollo, whose innovation in safety and endurance is paramount, building lasting trust through stories of shared resilience is an indispensable strategic imperative.
Apollo Tyres has a strong association with cricket- how do you ensure this partnership evolves beyond visibility into something more meaningful?
Our association with the Team India jersey is a source of immense pride and it is a powerful platform. However, our vision extends far beyond mere logo placement; we see this partnership as a dynamic canvas for Apollo Tyres to bring our narratives and mission to life.
Cricket’s unparalleled ability to unite diverse segments – from tractor users to two-wheeler riders and premium vehicle owners – provides unmatched scale and a shared national fervor we can leverage.
To evolve beyond visibility, we focus on meaningful activation: creating engaging fan zones at venues, developing digital series that explore athletes’ preparation in ways that mirror tyre endurance tests, and innovative AR applications that allow supporters to virtually ‘experience’ Apollo grip under pressure. Furthermore, we build tangible impact through community touchpoints, such as safety clinics in cricket-dominant regions and grassroots talent programs, fostering trust that resonates with Team India’s reliability.
We measure this depth through engagement layers – beyond views to shares, user stories attributing personal wins to Apollo, and sales attribution from match-tied promotions. Globally, the lessons of endurance and performance from cricket translate seamlessly, inspiring applications in motorsports in Europe or rallies in the US, always prioritising purpose over mere presence.
This partnership positions Apollo Tyres as resilience incarnate, inspiring millions of fans while driving business through heightened affinity, conversions, and lasting brand equity. Visibility opens doors; meaningful evolution builds enduring legacies, transforming passive spectators into lifelong advocates who trust us for every road ahead.
What role does cultural relevance play in your global marketing strategy, especially across markets like India, UK, and the US?
Cultural relevance is truly the heartbeat of Apollo Tyres’ global marketing strategy, ensuring our foundational philosophy of “Go The Distance” resonates profoundly while adapting to local nuances.
In India, for instance, we strategically capitalised on our Team India association to achieve key objectives, including reaching newer demographics like women and GenZ. While they may not be direct tyre consumers, we aim for them to recognise Apollo Tyres as a lead sponsor, connecting with us as an emotionally resonant brand. This brand film was instrumental in infusing that crucial emotional depth into Apollo Tyres for the Indian market.
Conversely, in the UK, our strategy leverages the nation’s rich motorsport culture, connecting our performance ethos to enthusiasts and professionals. In the US, we tap into the spirit of rugged freedom and exploration associated with its vast landscapes. This is never a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about nuanced, authentic storytelling that honors local pulses, creating strong, meaningful connections with each geography while consistently conveying Apollo’s core values of endurance and performance.
Looking ahead, what will define strong brand building in traditional categories- product superiority, storytelling, or cultural integration?
Looking ahead, strong brand building in traditional categories will be defined by the synergistic fusion of all these elements. Product superiority remains the absolute foundation; it is non-negotiable for a world-class brand like Apollo Tyres.
However, in an increasingly competitive and dynamic market, that foundation must be elevated by compelling storytelling that transforms functional benefits into emotional resonance, and by deep cultural integration that makes the brand intrinsically relevant to diverse audiences. Siloed excellence in any one area is no longer sufficient; fusion wins.
Our strategy uses our world-class products as the core, then layers on nuanced storytelling and authentic cultural integrations as powerful connectors and accelerators. This integrated approach, exemplified by our partnership with Team India, allows us to take the intangible assets of Apollo Tyres – its character, its emotional depth, its inspiring purpose – to the world.
