Salesforce's first campaign in India stars Rahul Dravid

Salesforce, a CRM solutions company, announced former captain and head coach of the Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid, as part of the company’s first ad campaign in India. Focused on showcasing real-life success stories from Indian businesses, the new brand campaign positions Salesforce as the digital partner for organisations to deliver exceptional customer experiences, driving transformation and growth. With this campaign, the brand looks to inspire trust and confidence among businesses, establishing itself as an ally that helps Indian businesses grow.   

The key message of the campaign is “we help Indian businesses grow” showcasing how Indian companies of all sizes use Salesforce to transform their sales, marketing, and customer service for increased growth. The campaign leverages a mix of traditional print, out-of-home advertising in major cities, tier-2 towns, and airports, and digital strategies across popular social and media platforms to captivate audiences and highlight Salesforce’s role in digital transformation. Crafted in collaboration with McCann Worldgroup, and Rahul Dravid’s agency, Meraki Sport and Entertainment, a sports marketing and consulting firm, the campaign is designed to resonate with mid-market business decision-makers across India. 

The campaign will see Dravid in two ad films, the former Indian team coach steps outside of his comfort zone of the cricket pitch, only to settle in quite comfortably in a new business, much to the surprise and amusement of his fans. This portrayal highlights Salesforce's ability to support businesses of all sizes and industries in their growth journey. Positioned as digital-first, the campaign is designed to inject energy and entertainment into the traditionally straitlaced B2B ad space, garnering attention while seamlessly showing the brand’s capabilities. The second ad film will launch in October. 

The new campaign also shines a spotlight on real success stories of Salesforce customers in manufacturing, automobile, BFSI, retail and consumer goods, and healthcare, showcasing how Salesforce powers their remarkable growth. 

Rahul Dravid said, “I’ve always believed that strong values and a commitment to excellence are key to success, both in sports and in business. That’s why I’m excited about my association with Salesforce. Their focus on innovation, customer success, and giving back to the community aligns with the principles I hold dear. With platforms like Salesforce, Indian businesses have the tools to scale up, compete globally, and make a significant impact. I look forward to being part of this journey.”

Nipun Sharma, senior director - marketing, Salesforce India, said, “Our brand campaign resonates with ambitious business professionals—men and women from companies of all sizes with goals of driving customer excellence and high growth companies - similar to what Rahul Dravid did in cricket and when he led his team to victory in the T20 World Cup. Dravid embodies trust, making him the ideal choice for Salesforce in India. Just as he has inspired champions, Salesforce is a trusted partner that empowers businesses to transform their sales, service, and marketing functions, helping them achieve extraordinary success.” 

“When Salesforce presented us with the brief, we knew we were in for something special. B2B communication conventionally has a more serious and straightforward approach, so we thought we could shake things up a bit, deliver a googly or two. And for a brand like Salesforce, a leader in its category, it’s mighty impressive that they were also game. Of course, getting Rahul Dravid on board was just the icing on the cake! The effort going in was to keep it fresh, quirky, and clean, and we believe we have delivered so. To quote Dravid from the films, this one is ‘ek dum stadium ke bahar!” said, Sambit Mohanty, creative head (North & South), McCann Worldgroup.