Sports Illustrated India in association with KamaSutra launches
Golden Jubilee Swimsuit Issue 2014 – “50 Years of Beautiful”
Sports Illustrated – the most successful print franchise, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in some style. As a part of the anniversary celebrations, the Sports Illustrated India – Swimsuit Issue 2014 was launched in association with KamaSutra at Club Royalty, Mumbai, where Bollywood stars, socialites and top Indian models were in attendance. This star-studded launch featured a dramatic runway fashion show showcasing Ambika Sanjana’s latest designs and unveiling the BiKa Swimwear Spring/Summer 2015 collection.
With a provocative theme of 1947: Liberation, the show regaled guests with a historic and breathtaking procession of swimwear capturing the pivotal moment in India’s history. The event that was organised in association with KamaSutra as the Title Sponsor showcased the BiKa Swimwear Spring/Summer 2015 collection, featuring signature pieces with unique symbolic prints paying homage to India’s tryst with destiny in 1947, while heralding the trailblazing women that have brought India into the 21st century.
Elaborating on the magazine’s position as the most respected sports media brand in the world Mr Piyush Sharma, CEO of MediaTransasia stated, “The Swimsuit franchise is clearly most coveted media brand franchise, eagerly awaited by fans the world over. Running into its fourth edition, the franchise has been growing tremendously, reinforcing the brand’s undisputed position. This issue—50 Years of Beautiful—is a glimpse of what the brand has meant down the years.”
Speaking about this association, Ranjukumar Mohan, Director and Business Head, KamaSutra said, “We are delighted to partner with Sports Illustrated India for the launch of the Swimsuit 2014 issue. Being a brand that introduced the idea of sex for pleasure in the early 90s was a bold step on the part of KamaSutra. Widening the horizons and introducing never-before-seen concepts has been our strategy throughout our products and campaigns. Working on this, we are likely to diversify more into various other personal care segments and look forward to associating with brands that celebrate the spirit of the modern woman.”
For its 50th anniversary issue Sports Illustrated has come up with “the happiest cover in swimsuit history”, the issue—themed Past, Present and Future—showcasing models who have featured in the magazine down the years. On the cover are three newbies—Chrissy Teigen, Lily Aldridge and Nina Agdal—clad in neon bikini bottoms. The trio has been photographed in the crystal blue waters of the Cook Islands, arms around each other and their smiling faces turned towards the shore. There are two very special sections in the magazine, one with swimsuit favourite Kate Upton in a zero-gravity plane at Cape Canaveral in Florida wearing a sexy gold bikini, and the other featuring 22 former cover models in the Salute to the Legends of Swimsuit segment. In keeping with the theme, this issue puts plenty of emphasis on history, also featuring veteran models Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum and Brooklyn Decker.
About Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
The Swimsuit Issue is a special, annual offering from the Sports Illustrated stable. With over 70 million copies sold last year, it is the single-largest selling magazine issue on the planet. Featuring famous models in swimwear against exotic backdrops, this special issue has always been eagerly awaited by readers since its launch in 1964.
Through the decades, supermodels such as Cheryl Tiegs, Elle Macpherson, Heidi Klum, Bar Rafaeli, Brooklyn Decker and Tyra Banks have graced the cover, while many other famous faces, such as Cindy Crawford, Niki Taylor, Angie Everhart and Naomi Campbell, have featured in the magazine. Several female athletes have also appeared—including tennis players Steffi Graf (1997), Serena Williams (2003), Anna Kournikova (2004), Venus Williams (2005), Maria Sharapova (2006) and Ana Ivanovic (2010); figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva (2003) and Olympic gold medallist swimmer Amanda Beard and softball player Jennie Finch (both 2010). In 2007, Beyoncé Knowles became the only non-model to pose on the cover of the SI swimsuit issue.
About Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is the largest selling sports magazine in the world, read by over 23 million. First published by Time Warner in 1954, it is the quintessential voice of sport in the USA, winning countless awards for its incisive, arresting journalism and stunning imagery. With contributions from the biggest names in sports journalism, respected for their vast knowledge, insight and access, as well as for its stunning photography, SI has made a mark for itself, its independent voice becoming an arbiter of sporting status. SI India mirrors all of these attributes and is committed to pushing the boundaries of sports journalism and photography in the country to compliment these values.
The magazine is published in India by Media Transasia, which also publishes Travel+Leisure, Better Homes & Gardens, Maxim, Child, Discover India, Architecture+Design, Casaviva and other titles.
About KamaSutra
Breaking the shackles of the orthodox Indian society, KamaSutra redefined intimacy and pleasure. KamaSutra repositioned condoms as not just a safety measure but also as a means of pleasure. Beginning its journey in 1991, the brand became part of the joint venture between JK Ansell and Raymond in 1996. The brand essence of KamaSutra lies in the fact that it is an expert in the art of love-making, thus empowering consumers to have the most enjoyable sexual experience.
