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As Chennai’s cricket fever peaks ahead of the IPL weekend, Etihad Airways has rolled out a city-wide campaign in partnership with Chennai Super Kings, seeking to turn fan engagement into a broader travel and brand-connect exercise beyond the stadium.
The Abu Dhabi-based carrier, which is the official front-of-jersey sponsor of CSK, announced a series of activations across Chennai between May 16 and 18 aimed at blending cricket fandom with travel promotion and loyalty-program outreach. The campaign comes at a time when airlines are increasingly using sports partnerships to deepen brand visibility in India’s fast-growing outbound travel market.
Central to the campaign are two themed experiences — “The Golden Rickshaws” and “Wickets of the World” — designed to take the atmosphere of match day into public spaces across the city.
Under the “Golden Rickshaws” initiative, Etihad has deployed specially branded auto-rickshaws in CSK’s yellow-and-blue colors combined with the airline’s gold branding. Fans signing up for the airline’s loyalty program, Etihad Guest, through QR-code registration will receive complimentary rides across the city. On match day, the vehicles will also ferry supporters to and from the stadium while distributing merchandise and promotional giveaways.
The second activation, “Wickets of the World”, uses cricket-themed street games to market Etihad’s international network. The experience links batting and bowling challenges with global destinations including New York City, Charlotte, Nice and Prague, reflecting the airline’s strategy of positioning leisure travel alongside sports entertainment.
The campaign also highlights Etihad’s summer routes to European destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Kraków, Mykonos and Santorini as the carrier attempts to capture outbound holiday traffic from India during the mid-year travel season.
Mark Potter, Managing Director of Etihad Guest, said India remained among the airline’s most important markets and described cricket as a powerful medium to connect with consumers and travelers. He said the Chennai activations were intended not only to bring supporters closer to the game but also to familiarize them with Etihad’s expanding destination network and loyalty ecosystem.
The airline is also offering promotional fares through discount code “EYCSK10”, which provides up to 10 per cent off on bookings made until May 18 for travel between May 25 and October 31. The offer applies to 22 destinations across Europe and North America, including Paris, Zurich, Rome, Barcelona, Toronto and Chicago.
Industry observers say such campaigns reflect a broader shift in aviation marketing, where airlines are increasingly leveraging sports franchises and fan communities to build emotional consumer engagement in highly competitive markets. For Etihad, whose India operations span Chennai and 10 other cities, the CSK association offers access to one of the country’s most loyal and commercially valuable sporting fan bases.
The campaign is expected to be amplified through on-ground branding and city-wide promotions throughout the IPL weekend, reinforcing Chennai’s identity as one of Indian cricket’s most passionate markets while simultaneously promoting international travel demand.
