Vijender Singh becomes Pepsi’s brand ambassador

Boxing champion Vijender Singh who won a bronze at the Beijing Olympics has been signed on by Pepsi as its brand ambassador. He is one of the first sportsmen from a non-cricketing background to be signed by the world's second-largest soft drinks maker. 

By getting Vijender on board, Pepsi is widening its fan base. This association will help the brand reach out to two groups of people; one is the smaller subset of boxing fans within the cricket fan base and the other is the set of people who like boxing but do not like cricket.

The trump card is that Vijender is an achiever and his non-cricketing background doesn't matter. People will connect to him even after a couple of years. He is also quite young and that takes forward the brand's 'Youngistaan' positioning. 
 
Sandeep Singh Arora, executive vice-president, marketing, Colas, PepsiCo India, says, ''Vijender as Pepsi's new brand ambassador reflects the 'Youngistaani' attitude and self-belief, as he is self made and backed by a 'can do' spirit. He is an inspiration for the young generation to follow their dreams. Brand ambassadors of Pepsi are not only the face of the brand but also an extension of the brand's youthful and irreverent imagery.''
 
Vijender is currently in Czech Republic gearing up to compete in his first competitive event since winning the middleweight bronze medal in Beijing last August.

The boxer will be participating in World Championship in Italy from August - September 09, various European Grand Prix tournaments, Commonwealth Games in October, 2010 and World Cup in December in 2010.

About his association with Pepsi, Vijender said, ''Being a sportsman, I have always been a believer in 'Youngistaan's' core philosophy- chaho toh sab kuch hai aasan. I strongly believe that a winner is one who thinks big, has self confidence and follows his dreams to be successful in life. That's my mantra and that's how I claimed my victory!''

Besides Pepsi, Vijender endorses Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.