Meril, an India-based global medical technology company, has rolled out a campaign, 'Helicopter Shot', featuring cricketer MS Dhoni to highlight its initiatives for the elderly population to lead an active lifestyle.

Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, the campaign comprises an ad film.

The film opens with MS Dhoni playing a casual game of cricket with a group of children. Midway through, a group of senior citizens approaches him, explaining that the kids have challenged them to a match the following week and have even appointed Dhoni as their coach. Taking on the role, he begins training the seniors, showing them a series of cricketing tricks and techniques. The practice sessions unfold with humorous moments, as the grandparents attempt the drills with a mix of enthusiasm and overconfidence. When match day arrives, the game reaches a tense final moment with the seniors needing five runs off the last ball while batting. Against expectations, they manage to pull off the win. The film closes with Dhoni delivering a message that life does not end at retirement; instead, it is about continuing to move forward and finding new ways to stay active and happy. The campaign then highlights the various medical procedures and surgeries the brand offers to support people in maintaining an active life.

What we think about it: The film uses MS Dhoni’s cricketing legacy to deliver a warm, crowd-pleasing message about active ageing, with the underdog seniors-versus-kids match keeping the narrative engaging and light. However, while the emotional payoff works, the connection to Meril’s medical offerings arrives only at the end, making the brand’s role feel slightly secondary to the feel-good story.

The campaign was released on 11 March on YouTube.

CREDITS:

Client: Meril

Agency: MullenLowe Lintas Group (TBWA Lintas)

Director: Siddharth Sen

Production house: Thunder Films