Indian Premier League is not just about cricket

When men in red and yellow battle with men in black and gold at Bangalore's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18, it will not be just cricket. The high-profile auction by the eight teams in March was followed by a blitzkrieg of launches. Logos, uniforms, anthems and trophies were rolled out in filmy style, team by team, city by city. This has been as important as building the team, and players carefully managed for promotional activities.

Designers, apparel companies, musicians, artists and much of the movie world are involved in adding 'value' to each team's look and image, while team owners are extending their personalities to the team's branding. So Vijay Mallya's Royal Challengers are all assertive flamboyance, Deccan Chargers exude understated power and Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders are all fire and impatience. Rajasthan Royals have been relatively quiet. Of course, their skipper Shane Warne is more majesty than anyone else, so, perhaps, this team's name is based on its Star power.

Zinta's Kings Eleven Team Mohali is powered by zest, as much the owners as the region's calling card. And GMR's Delhi Daredevils depict the dynamism of 21st century India. "We want the team to become the Manchester United of cricket," said B. Vachi, a senior director in GMR, at the launch.

If India Cement has left it to ad agency Salt Creatives to work out the brand campaigns, in Mohali Zinta is on the ball to ensure creatives unfold the way they're visualised by the core team. Members talk about Zinta's "eye for detail" and insistence on "everything perfect". She looks at "each and every thing", is part of all meetings and, of all the team-owner members, is believed to be the "most passionate".

Her hands-on style is very much what Shah Rukh Khan has been all about, propping up, seemingly single-handedly, Kolkata's Knight Riders to dizzying heights that Bengal tigers are not familiar with. It was with distinct non-Bong pomp and ceremony that the Knight Riders' branding was launched, with a flourish and a bow. Not much team brainstorming here, it's Khan style all the way. And no-one is complaining.

The IPL is as much about celebrities as it is about the sport. Bollywood has a strong presence in music videos, events and during the tournament itself.

In fact, Khan hopes to help the boys "with water" and such like during matches. That will make good television, if it does not distract the players, that is. The other biggie is Akshay Kumar who will be rooting for Delhi Daredevils. A cosy little club forming here. Who's getting Saif, may we ask? Hrithik's dancing to Mumbai Indians' tune, last heard.

Tollywood and Mollywood stars are not far behind, welcomed to their city's teams, drawing the crowds and creating the 'buzz factor'. So, for Superkings, Nayanthara and Vijay, Tamil cinema's stars, are ambassadors, G. V. Prakash, better known as A. R. Rehman's nephew, is the music director and Rajiv Menon is directing the video.

Anthems and music videos for the promotion of a cricket team will be a first with this tournament. Zinta is expected to sing in her team's song along with Daler Mehdi. Sandeep Chowta is the man behind Bangalore's teamsong. Kolkata's got a Star cast singing for it, from Bappi Lahiri to Usha Uthup, Ganesh Hegde features in the video, Vishal-Shekhar are the music directors and the making of the anthem has almost become an album in itself. Kolkata has plans to include a "number of songs", but since Khan made everyone listen to a lot of heavy metal to get the "feel", we're not likely to hear any Rabindrasangeet here. So much for home-culture.

Tonite, Chennai is gonna be rocked," was the message from Chennai's Super Kings team as they prepared for a gala the evening of March 29. Brand ambassador Krishnamachari Srikanth, flanked by the Star brigade, entertained for three hours along with international stunt artists. Meanwhile, Challengers have roped in Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone for promotions, while Chargers had Sameera Reddy performing at the launch.

The glitz is backed by deep rooted cultural traditions. Passion is the driving force behind the IPL and this is reflected in each team's logos.

From the animal kingdom, Chennai has a roaring lion; Rajasthan Royals has lions blowing trumpets and Deccan Chargers a charging bull. Says J Krishnan, President and CEO of Deccan Chargers, "the charging bull signifies strength, power and aggression; the unstoppable". For Chennai, the lion "reflects the fearless rulers of the golden era of Tamil culture, marked by the Chera, Chola, Pandya and Pallava dynasties."

Logos of Knight Riders' and Delhi's Daredevils play with fire, while Mumbai Indians have opted for national fervour with blue jerseys. The logo is a sudarshan chakra with Mumbai Indians engraved on it. Mumbai denotes a 'never-say-die' attitude and Sachin Tendulkar is the pivot, the mentor and everything-else-as-well for the team.

Logos are kept well under wraps until launch. The latest logo to be released is Team Mohali's, in another eventful evening. Lions again, this time, it's taking the line. Two roaring lions on a shield that has engraved in its mast KJHPH, Kashmir, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Team Mohali's embraced north India.

The tournament may be a few days away, but online, the game has begun. Superkings have stolen the march as of now. For close to three weeks, from youtube and orkut to blogs, Chennai fans are sweating it out online. From team strengths to who will make a better ambassador, Chennai is euphoric about the strength of its team. So, prize horse M. S. Dhoni, integral to promotional activities, is being left alone as he is "currently concentrating on his cricket".

Bangalore is active online as well. Vijay Mallya is the first face on the site, and well, that's where the good times begin. Rajasthan Royals' low-key ground activities are offset by the frenzy on their website. The gaming zone here is getting hits with "Shane on You" one of the most popular, pitting Shane Warne against Mumbai Indians' Sachin.

Naming the team has also been an elaborate exercise. Deccan Chargers was selected from a reader contest run in the group's daily, Deccan Chronicle. Other options were Deccan Dynamos and Hyderabad Champions. SMS voters chose Delhi's Daredevils over Delhi's Mughals in a city poll run by owners GMR.

If clothes make the man, designers made the IPL cricketers. Louis Philippe is creating the formals for Challengers and Belmonte is in charge of Kolkata's outfits designed by Manish Malhotra. Deccan Chargers is in talks with three clothing units and a decision will be taken later this week. Of course, when Rajasthan Royals clash with Chennai Superkings, no matter who wins, Reebok will score, being the designers behind both teams.