In its fifth edition, the ‘Kingfisher Run in Costume’ saw a record number of participants dressed in imaginative attires attracting cheers from spectators and shutterbugs alike. While some participants were outfitted for laughs, and some to support causes and spread awareness on issues they firmly believed in, the ‘Kingfisher Run in Costume’ sure did induce tons of fun to the TCS World 10K. ‘Kingfisher Run in costume’ couldn’t have been a better place to showcase the vibrancy of the city of Bangalore which is rich in tradition and culture.
Adding to the cheer, Kingfisher also gratified a few lucky participants with attractive rewards for the best creative costumes. In the guise of mythological character ‘Shiva with a gun’ – Sreesanth won Rs. 30,000/- as the 'Kingfisher Sakkath Bangalorean'. ‘The flower girl’ from the organization Bal Utsav who dressed to support the ‘education for underprivileged’ won Rs. 20,000/-, and Raj dressed as ‘Eye-swarya’ won Rs 10,000/-, as they were adjudged the first and second runners-up respectively. ‘Diya Foundation’ could not contain their excitement and delight when they won the 'Kingfisher Bombaat Brigade' cash price of Rs. 75,000/-
The participants were rewarded by Raj Shroff, who judged the "Kingfisher Run-in-Costume" for the individual and group prizes.
Speaking about Kingfisher's association, Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Senior Vice President Marketing, United Breweries Ltd. said, "The ‘Run in Costume’ is a platform created to encourage people to take a fun route to support noble causes. The concept was first introduced in the year 2004 in association with the Mumbai Marathon and was then replicated across Delhi and Bangalore. We are over-whelmed with the response received. Each year the numbers only seem to increase, thus re-instating the popularity of the concept.”
The ‘Kingfisher Run-in-Costume’ is part of the ‘Majja Run’ - a 6 km run which takes place alongside the actual TCS World 10K. The ‘Kingfisher Run-in-Costume’ has in the past resulted in a big street party with enthusiastic participation from thousands in innovative and crazy costumes.
About Kingfisher Premium:
Kingfisher Premium is a flagship brand from The United Breweries Group. It is a lifestyle brand associated with fun, style, fashion and sports. The brand has won many international awards for its brew, packaging and advertising. Currently available in over 50 countries, some of its most memorable initiatives include the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar and Kingfisher Fashion Awards.
Kingfisher is associated with Kingfisher Derby, Kingfisher Voice of Goa and Kingfisher Octoberfest amongst a host of other properties. A few of them include the Kingfisher East Bengal Football team, the official refresher of the Delhi Marathon, Mumbai Marathon and the Bangalore Marathon. In the past Kingfisher has, had brand ambassadors such as Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, Ajay Jadeja and Sourav Ganguly. Kingfisher Premium is partners to the Force India Formula 1 Team. Kingfisher has also associated itself with the IPL this season, by officially being the Good Times Partner of 6 Teams – Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Dare Devils, King XI Punjab.
Kingfisher also owns the most glamorous property ‘Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar”. Introduced in 2003, the ‘Kingfisher Swimsuit Special’ became a pioneer of sorts in India and led the path for many such concepts to follow. In addition to this, Kingfisher has been associated with various Fashion festivals in India. Kingfisher has been a “Good Times Partner” to the FDCI sponsored Wills India Fashion Week in Delhi, the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai and the Punjab International Fashion Week. It is also co-hosts the Chennai International Fashion Week and the Coimbatore Fashion Weekend.
In music, Kingfisher owns the coveted “The Great Indian Octoberfest” which attracted footfalls in excess of 65000 in 2010 and the popular Kingfisher Voice of Goa.
Kingfisher’s Associations with Sports:
Kingfisher’s association with sports started in 1988 with the prestigious Kingfisher Derby, Bangalore; and in later years saw the brand associate with a host of ‘Derbies’ across the country. In the mid 90s Kingfisher sponsored the Sailing Rally from Bombay to Goa. In 1996 Kingfisher sponsored The West Indies Cricket team which gave birth to the iconic jingle “Ooh La Lala Le O” which is today synonymous with the brand Kingfisher. The association with cricket continued with brand ambassadors such as the iconic Indian cricketers Sourav Ganguly& Ajay Jadeja in the late 90s & two of the world’s best cricketers Andrew Flintoff& Michael Vaughan.
1996 also saw Kingfisher’s 1st foray into the world of racing with a sponsorship of the Benetton Formula 1 team. Besides sponsoring the Toyota Formula 1 team, the brand endorsed India’s best race drivers Narain Karthikeyan & Karun Chandhok. Kingfisher also gave its F1 fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to race with the Force India drivers in a unique go-karting challenge.
The brand co-owns the Kingfisher East Bengal Football Club which is the 2003 Asean Champions and also 3 times winners of the National Football League. The brand sponsors the Kingfisher Pro-League in Goa, which is the premier league of Goa’s top 8 clubs, in addition to this Kingfisher sponsors the Goa state football team & conducts annually the Goa Beach Football Tournament. In addition to this, the brand sponsors another I-League team, Lajong FC, hosts the “Kingfisher Corporate 5s’ an annual five a side football event at a national level and sponsors all key events under the auspices of Indian Rugby & Football Union of India. Kingfisher is the Official Refresher to all of India’s premier running events, the Mumbai Marathon, the Delhi Half Marathon & the Bangalore World 10k.
