“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” -MichaeI Jordan-
Undersigning several amazing turnkey projects both on a national and global scale, Sintek Group was rewarded on the way as it ran from success to success in the basketball court with the importance it attaches to team work and analytical intelligence.
With the motto; “Leaves a Mark”, Harun Erdenay – Pegasus of Turkish Basketball – stars the new commercial film, revealing the Sintek spirit with its teamwork, dedication and excitement.
We talked with Sintek Group Founding Partner Onur Atakay and one of the legendary names of Turkish basketball, Harun Erdenay, about the commercial film that conveyed to the audience that basketball is fed by facts such as ambition, talent, team spirit, analytical intelligence, strength, just like life.
The last basketball themed commercial prepared by Sintek Group turned out to be a very interesting work. First of all, why did you decide to create such a commercial film? What were the factors that pushed you to this work?
(OA) First of all, as someone with a basketball background, I must say that the spirit of Sintek always reminds me of the basketball court. Or let me put it in another way. Considering the developments and the current situation in almost every field all over the world, you see that the trend in general is towards more individualization and self-centeredness. This fact can be seen much more frequently in both corporate and private life. All strategies are based on and shaped around this fact. And while it is becoming more difficult to manage things with the current conditions each day, it is now much more important to work together, to support each other, to highlight collaborative achievement or teamwork rather than individual gains. I think we all have to do so, at some point.
I am also a former basketball player, and our decision to create this work free from commercial concerns was born exactly at this point. And I thought that the exact point to remember the values I mentioned would definitely be basketball. Then we decided to start this project by providing the necessary conditions. In a sense, we can say that we have tried to explain the elements and emotions inherent in basketball, similar aspects of life with emotions that we want to remind again.
You have come up with a commercial that we don’t come across very often in this industry. What kind of message and to whom do you want to give that message with this commercial?
(OA) We put emphasize on the importance of teamwork, proper planning, good practice and team spirit to be the main focus and priority of organizations at all times. Just like in basketball. Also, we think that it will be these values that create the main added value and bring long-term results. Our commercial film was created with a strategy that highlights exactly these values and includes messages from basketball.
“Sintek is a very successful organization that does powerful business on an international scale. We could easily have produced a commercial that focuses on the result, not the process; on the work we have achieved and the projects we have done. However, without our team, without the cooperation and efforts of our teammates, these successes would not have become real, the ball would not have found the hoop. Therefore, our focus for the commercial has become the code of engineering and teamwork.” I was also very excited to see our colleagues and highly respected Harun Erdenay on the field.
Onur Atakay
“Sintek is a very successful organization that does powerful business on an international scale. We could easily have produced a commercial that focuses on the result, not the process; on the work we have achieved and the projects we have done. However, without our team, without the cooperation and efforts of our teammates, these successes would not have become real, the ball would not have found the hoop. Therefore, our focus for the commercial has become the code of engineering and teamwork.”
Turkish basketball legend Harun Erdenay starred in your commercial. How was the idea of working with Erdenay, who is one of the legendary names with both his active career and contributions to Turkish basketball, born?
(OA) Harun Erdenay is an exemplary sports person who has left his mark on Turkish basketball history with his sports background and career, sports ethics. Not only in basketball, but also he is an exemplary sports person who shows how an athlete should be. He represents very special personage.
I think that no one but Harun Erdenay could explain and convey the messages we want to give and the values forming basketball. I am a very old fan of his, and we also have a rooted brotherhood that goes back many years. When the idea of shooting such a commercial was born, we made an offer to him, and he, showing great modesty, did not reject us. He accepted our offer. On behalf of the entire Sintek family, I would like to thank him once again. The fact that he took part in this project, which is very special for us, gave us both pride and added great strength.
Harun Erdenay
“I was very impressed with the idea because Sintek Group is aware that the thing behind its success is subtle intelligence and teamwork, and their internalization of this idea is very consistent with the ethics of basketball. The fact that such a brand, which already has a very strong reputation in its own sector, will create a project that coincides with the values to which I have dedicated my life, inevitably made me accept the offer.”
How did you decide to star in the Sintek Group commercial? What were the main factors that led you to this brand?
(HE) The offer to play in the commercial film came from Onur Atakay, a partner of Sintek Group and also a very close friend of mine. He is also a former basketball player, ,and it was basketball that brought us together. Sintek Group is a company that has achieved very successful and special works in its sector both in Turkey and in the world. And it continues such work without slowing down. I was very impressed with the idea because Sintek Group is aware that the thing behind its success is subtle intelligence and teamwork, and their internalization of this idea is very consistent with the ethics of basketball. The fact that such a brand, which already has a very strong reputation in its own sector, will create a project that coincides with the values to which I have dedicated my life, inevitably made me accept the offer.
What was the shooting of the commercial film like?
(HE) We worked with a completely professional and competent team. In this sense, I enjoyed every second of the shooting. I would like to say that although the shooting took 12-13 hours in total and we all were very exhausted, I enjoyed every moment of it and I was happy to be there. Also, it was wonderful that Sintek family employees took part in this commercial, together with them. I felt the team spirit.
Do you think it is difficult to act in a commercial or to be on the field?
(HE) I think it’s always more difficult to be on the field. Especially the stress, tempo and fatigue after the matches make you feel different. However, I can also say that I was as tired in the last commercial we shot as I was in a professional match. But both are full of pleasure. That is to say, we play many games throughout our professional basketball life, but we don’t shoot that many commercials!
It has been my 5th or 6th commercial. Still, it is always much more challenging to go out on the field and play a basketball match.
Which features of the brand do you see closest to yourself?
(HE) During my professional basketball career, I always tried to do my best when I was playing on the court. I tried to do so for the sake of both my teammates and the audience who came to watch the match. It was very important to me that they enjoyed it too. In the same way, the audience is there to enjoy the game. That’s why I’ve always tried to do my best from the moment I got on the field. I think Sintek Group is exactly such a company. It always wants to do its best in all the work it creates, and it always manages to do so. It overcomes all the obstacles it encounters on this path and does not avoid any difficulties. In this sense, I can compare these characteristics very much to myself and my basketball game.
Another similar feature of us is that I have always been among the leading players in the teams I played for. I took responsibility and reflected that on the field. Sintek is also a leading company in its sector and always strives to complete and deliver the work it undertakes in the best possible way. In this respect, it stands out as a company that does its job perfectly. Again, I can say that we have similar characteristics in these respects.
What kind of a strategy do you intend to continue your advertising and marketing activities as a company?
(OA) I can say that we will continue to surprise our industry with the work we do as always. We will continue to explain the priorities and values of the Sintek Group through different topics and themes. In doing so, we will leave our commercial concerns behind us and continue not to reflect this as much as possible. As a result, success comes from the continuity we provide in our projects, and the values we have here come to the fore; that is, teamwork, dedication, excitement and analytical thinking. In any case, this also brings commercial gains over the time.
