Airtel rolls out #PassTheTorch campaign

Bharti Airtel (Airtel), India’s has launched an innovative digital campaign #PassTheTorch to mark the 11^th edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM).

Gautam Anand, Chief People Officer (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel along with Airtel employees, members from top running groups in the country and people at large lit a digital torch to launch the campaign at an event held earlier today, at the Airtel Headquarters in Gurgaon. The torch will now be passed digitally across the country over smartphones to take the initiative nationwide.

The #PassTheTorch campaign celebrates the spirit of running and at the same time encourages people across India to make their run count wherever they may be and contribute towards the empowerment of underprivileged children in rural India.  Airtel has partnered with leading fitness mobile app, Mobiefit for the campaign.

Mobiefit app will be branded as Airtel Mobiefit during the campaign period. Airtel will engage with over 400 top running clubs in the country to expand the reach of the campaign and clock in more kilometers on the app.

The campaign is designed around the core philosophy of ADHM, which is to bring people together for a cause. It breaks barriers by taking take the spirit of ADHM to every corner of the country through the digital flame and providing a platform to citizens to make a positive impact on the society. As part of the campaign, runners can pass on the digital flame to the next individual or group. Corresponding to the number of kilometers accumulated by the runners, Airtel will empower underprivileged children in rural areas through digital literacy, which will include teaching them use of computers and internet.

To participate in the #PasstheTorch campaign:

1. Download the Airtel Mobiefit app on your smartphone and register as an individual or group
2. Click on the Torch (Mnemonic) Screen to go to the challenge page
3. Click on the start icon
4. You can now record your run. When you finish a kilometer, the torch (mnemonic) will turn green
5. Once green, you can end your run and share or post your achievement across social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc and encourage/challenge others to participate.

Airtel had roll out a similar initiative titled ‘Make Your Run Count’ in 2016, requesting people across the country to capture screenshots of their run on running apps and upload on social media platforms. Over 10K people in rural areas benefitted from the campaign and were empowered with digital literacy as they learnt the power of internet for the first time through the initiative.

This year marks the 11^th anniversary of Airtel’s association with ADHM, which is now one of the most prestigious running events across the world. The race is expected to witness participation from over 35,000 people this year who will run in 5 categories including the Half Marathon (21.097km), Great Delhi Run (6km), Open 10K, Senior Citizens Run (4.3km) and Champions with Disability (2.4Km).