JSW launches campaign to celebrate Indian athletes’ relentless pursuit

CHENNAI: With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games around the corner, JSW Group has reignited its long-running and hugely successful campaign - Rukna Nahi Hai – with the launch of a brand-new film that delves into the mindset of the athletes who will represent India on the biggest sporting stage in less than two weeks from now.

Launched by India’s golden boy and reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday, the campaign includes a longer version for digital platforms and a shorter TV commercial to be broadcast on popular channels before and during the Games.

JSW, who have pioneered the Olympic movement in India over the last decade, have always run compelling campaigns around the Games, and the build-up to Paris has been no different.

The film, while highlighting the preparation of the athletes, also explores the emotional aftermath of failing to win at the Games.

It portrays the public perception of an athlete's performance—celebration and fame if they win, or embarrassment and criticism if they lose. And in the process, emphasises that athletes should remain unfazed by either outcome, quickly returning to practice and preparing for their next challenge.

Conceptualised by Ogilvy and directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi from Good Morning Films, it features a mix of well-known and emerging athletes from various Olympic disciplines, including Neeraj Chopra, Nishant Dev, Preeti Pawar, Manu Bhaker, Manika Batra, and Muhammed Anas, among others.

Celebrity film star Ajay Devgn has lent his voice to the film.

The campaign also celebrates JSW's association with the Indian Olympic Association for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Sharing his views on the campaign, and the film, Parth Jindal, Founder, JSW Sports, said , “Rukna Nahi Hai as a JSW Group campaign, has now entered its third Olympic Games, and it has grown from being a slogan to now being an emotion, a belief that Team India and all of us will take to Paris. The film captures the essence of the athletes’ relentless pursuit, perfectly. For us, they are already champions. I am certain this film will inspire the contingent in Paris, and every single Indian who will be backing the athletes throughout the journey of the Games.”