Port of Spain, Trinidad — West Indies cricket players, a Boeing 767 jet, Trinidad Carnival dancers, several musical artistes and a monkey named Chico all feature in the Caribbean Premier League’s TV advertising campaign, which will be unveiled shortly and aired around the world in the lead up to the tournament which takes place in July and August.

Five of the six regional franchise players — Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels and Sunil Narine — along with local and regional talent were part of two intense days of filming in Trinidad, which went into the wee hours of the morning, and will result in several TV commercials.

The theme of the campaign, ‘We’ve Come To Play’, focuses on all the people who will be a part of the Caribbean Premier League, from the players and the fans to the dancers, the entertainers, the tourists and the celebrities, and speaks to the unifying power of the game, and more specifically what the public can expect from the CPL.

“When it comes to West Indies cricket, everyone rallies together,” said Rhonda Kelly, CPL event organiser, who was joined by a team of international creative directors and producers for the shoot. “The idea behind this campaign is to let the world know that whether it’s on the pitch, in the stands, on the stage or on TV, the CPL is going to show the world how only the Caribbean can ‘play’. It’s so much more than a sport; it is going to be an amazing experience where everyone comes to play.”

The CPL franchise players enjoyed the experience and liked the theme for the campaign. Delivering his line in the ad, ‘we’ve come to play’ renowned batsman Chris Gayle was his usual jovial self and had fun with the part, relating, “I really like the theme, everyone who comes to cricket comes to play, the difference is we’re playing on the pitch and they’re playing in the stands”.

Gayle also appreciated that the ads are more than just about cricket, they’re about showing people the Caribbean and all that is has to offer. “The chance to promote the game and at the same time my home in the Caribbean is great, I really think people will enjoy the ads, it was fun to do and made me appreciate even more all of the people who join in and support us when we play.”

The inaugural 2013 Caribbean Premier League tournament takes place from July 29 to August 26 across the Caribbean. Along with the six regional franchise players, two international franchise players — Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist — have been announced to date.

90 players in total will be contracted to play in the CPL. Each of the six franchise teams will be comprised of 15 players. All teams are required to have a minimum number of local players from that particular country. At least four of them must be under the age of 23, and teams can also field a maximum of four international players. The remainder of the team must consist of regional and/or local players.