Meril announces cricket icon MS Dhoni as the face of its Covid-19 self-test CoviFind

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• Dhoni to star in Covid-19 Self-test Kit CoviFind multimedia campaign “Doubt Ko Karo Out”, encouraging responsible health behaviours
• TVC and digital ad campaign build on the need to alleviate Covid-19 testing concerns and empowering Indians to strive for a healthier, safer and more resilient future
• Scaling access nationwide, Meril collaborates with Piramal Pharma to bolster offline distribution of test kits across pharmacies

Mumbai, 16 August, 2021 (GNI): Global medtech company Meril today announced cricket icon MS Dhoni as the face of its Covid-19 self-test kit, CoviFind. Kickstarting its CoviFind  campaign on Independence Day, Meril unveiled two digital film and television commercials (TVC) starring MS Dhoni. The campaign aims to encourage and educate consumers on testing, bringing awareness to self-tests and highlighting the ease and convenience of testing at home. 

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Sanjeev Bhatt, Sr. Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Meril said, “Rapid, accurate and affordable diagnostic solutions are essential to break the chain of virus transmission. To encourage self-testing in India, we are delighted to have MS Dhoni on board, who is a perfect fit with our core philosophy of delivering high quality and value, while advocating proactive health behaviours. As a powerful symbol of health and resilience, Dhoni is a credible and trustworthy leader. We are confident that, even off the field, he would reach multiple generations, empowering them to take charge of their own health and that of their families to create a safe environment for all.” 

Discussing the collaboration, MS Dhoni said, “In these tough times where the world is fighting against a pandemic, Meril’s self-test kit is a vital necessity. To collaborate with a brand that is bringing to its people a convenient way to test and in turn ensure that we play our part in controlling the spread, certainly makes me happy. We hope, together we can create awareness and inch closer to winning this battle.”

The ad campaign is built on the idea of easing the process of testing to alleviate Covid-19 associated fears and overcome testing hassles in India. Echoed in the campaign tagline, ‘Doubt Ko Karo Out,’ CoviFind is a quick and convenient solution to test promptly if experiencing any symptoms, in the comfort of one’s own home. At-home testing helps overcome the fear of infections in just 15 minutes.

Against the backdrop of the nation celebrating its 75^th year of Independence, CoviFind poses a convenient testing solution to equip Indians with, empowering them to return to work and daily life activities in a safe and responsible manner. Self-tests such as CoviFind are also a key asset for preparedness in India with a third wave in proximity.

Link to the CoviFind self-test kit TVC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPW4Mkq-BMM.

Alongside raising awareness on the need for testing in India, while encouraging a wider audience to proactively help curb the spread of the pandemic, Meril is also rapidly scaling access to its CoviFind test kits to benefit Indians across the country. Meril has collaborated with Piramal Pharma for pharmacy distribution of CoviFind. Leveraging Piramal’s well-established distribution network, the two organizations will ensure last mile reach of the affordable diagnostic solution pan-India. Meril aims to make 3 to 5 million self-test kits available across the country, across online and offline distribution channels

Nitish Bajaj, CEO –  India Consumer Product’s Division, Piramal Pharma Limited, said, “The threat of Covid-19 global pandemic is yet to be completely vanquished. Streamlining access to fast and accurate testing and reporting will be a significant step towards identifying and arresting the spread of transmission. Through our collaboration with Meril, we will accelerate the availability of CoviFind Self-Test kits across Piramal’s well established national distribution channels. We will also train and educate pharmacists at the last mile to ensure the understanding is provided to the consumers. We are confident that this will encourage positive testing behaviour and help towards the safety of the country.”

Mr. Sanjeev Bhatt added, “Our collaboration with Piramal will ensure that the CoviFind test is extensively distributed, thus amplifying access to testing solutions across India, spanning rural, peri-urban and urban regions,” stated in the press release.

Facilitating on-ground pharmacist and consumer education, Piramal will also oversee a team of 1,200 individuals across various distribution touchpoints. They will equip pharmacists with reliable information on testing, administration procedure and reporting of test results, facilitating responsible testing.

By raising awareness and scaling access of Covid-19 self-tests, Meril aims to meet the country’s testing needs with affordable and effective diagnostic solutions.ends