Back in 2008 when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) birthed the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League, little did it know that the tournament will soon become one of the most awaited cricketing tournaments as well as one of the highest sought after advertising properties in the country.
Since the inception of the tournament, the tradition has been such that even though the matches are traditionally conducted in the April-June period, people don’t just wait to see their favourite cricketers bat, bowl and field it out on the cricket pitch, but to be actually enthralled with the experience that the property builds.
Like the prebuzz which is created before any impact property, the promo campaigns like ‘Cricket Ka Karmayudh’, ‘Saare Jahan se Achha’, ‘Ek Happywala India’ and ‘Ye Khel Hai Sher Jawano Ka’ have enthused one with patriotism; ‘Dum Laga ke Mara Ray’ made the trumpet tune not just iconic but synonymous with IPL; ‘Jumping Japang’, ‘Come on, Bulawa Aaya Hai’, ‘Pistah’, ‘India Ka Apna Mantra’ and more which made one groove to their catchy tunes.
Evolving over time, these promo campaigns reflect the dynamic spirit of the game and the ever-expanding community of cricket enthusiasts. However, it was in the year 2023 that the tournament for the first time was aired on a different broadcaster and streaming platform, Star Sports and JioCinema, respectively, birthing a short-lived ad war between the two as Reliance Industries and Star India as two entities have announced a merger.
As this year’s IPL completes its one-and-a-half month time span, Marketing Mind has curated a list of promo campaigns that have been rolled out year after year for the tournament:
1. IPL 2008
Conceptualised by TBWA, the promo campaign for the first edition of the IPL titled ‘Manoranjan Ka Baap’ threw spotlight on to the fact that IPL was bound to be a big hit not just in terms of sports but also entertainment. The campaign via its narrative challenged stereotypical mindsets whilst coming across as a mix of suspense, drama and entertainment and put an end to the waiting period of Manu, Ranjan and their mother’s expectation of seeing the return of the father.
The other film for the tournament was that of a song which was composed by A R Rahman and titled ‘Cricket Ka Dharmayudh’. It showcased dynamic visuals of the top cricketers of the time with a pulsating music playing in the background to give a glimpse of the then upcoming tournament, heralding a new era in the sport’s landscape.
Encapsulating the electrifying spirit and fervor surrounding the tournament where cricket legends were to battle it out on the field, the promo campaign starts with the sound of a ‘shankhnaad’ which in Indian tradition represents the beginning of war and in this case as well represented the same, but in cricketing terms and featured the likes of Yuvraj Singh, M S Dhoni, Shoaib Akhtar, Sachin Tendulkar, and more.
2. IPL 2009
Since the timings of the General Elections 2009 clashed with that of the IPL 2009, the second edition of the tournament was hosted by South Africa and therefore the promo campaign which was conceptualised by TBWA for the same also epitomized the resilience and determination of cricket amidst adversity.
Set against the backdrop of uncertainty surrounding the tournament’s relocation to another country, the promo campaign titled ‘Divided by Nations, United by IPL’ showcased the spirit of adaptability and triumph over challenge via shots of iconic landmarks and passionate fans and celebrated the global appeal of the IPL and its unwavering commitment to delivering a world-class cricketing spectacle despite logistical hurdles.
The film showcased a Hindu praying for the success of Symonds, Sikh for Kumar Sangakkara, Muslim for Virendra Sehwag and Christian for Dhoni.
3. IPL 2010
After being hosted by South Africa in 2009, the third edition of the IPL marked the tournament’s return to the Indian soil and stemming from this very insight, the tournament’s primary promo campaign titled ‘Sare Jahan se Acha’ which was conceptualised by JWT showcased as to how the cricketing property united fans all across the country to watch their favourite cricketers return on the field.
The other promo campaign titled ‘Laut Aaya’ for Extraaa Innings, composed by Vishal- Shekhar, featured Gaurav Kapur, Ayushmann Khurrana, Angad Bedi and Samir Kochhar, celebrating the return of the tournament to India in the grandeur of a cricket stadium full of cheering crowd spreading an intoxicating energy and celebratory fervor.
4. IPL 2011
It was the promo campaign conceptualised by JWT for the fourth edition of the IPL which had a trumpet tune to it and featured presenters such as Gaurav Kapur, Samir Kochhar and Navjot Singh Sidhu, almost all of which became synonymous to cricket and the IPL in India with the passage of time.
Titled ‘Dum Laga Ke Mara Ray’, the promo campaign featured the coming together of people from all walks of life only to groove to the trumpet sound and the tunes of the song. It was post this campaign that the trumpet tune became an iconic one and came to be known as the tune of the IPL.
5. IPL 2012
Composed by Salim Sulaiman, the promo video of IPL 2012 and Extraaa Innings T20 which was conceptualised by JWT, featured the likes of Gaurav Kapur, Samir Kochhar, Shibani Dandekar, Archana Vijaya, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Harsha Bhogle and Ajay Jadeja dance to the tunes of ‘Aisa Mauka Aur Kahan Milega’.
6. IPL 2013
Conceptualised by JWT, the promo campaign ‘Jumping Japang’ for the sixth edition of the IPL, choreographer Farah Khan urged the audiences to dance their hearts out not just when the cricketers scored fours and sixes but also when the umpire raised his hand to show that somebody was out.
The campaign featured the likes of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Harsha Bhogle, Gaurav Kapur, Samir Kochhar, Kapil Dev and more and went on to become a resounding success with the words ‘Jumping Japang’ being sung by audiences all across the country.
7. IPL 2014
Bringing the glamour quotient to the forefront once again, the promo campaign conceptualised by Havas Worldwide India for IPL 2014 titled ‘Come on Bulava Aaya Hai’, which featured the likes of Gaurav Kapur, Samir Kochhar, Archana Vijaya, Sibani Dandekar, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja serving as a distinctive announcement of the arrival of the 2014 IPL season.
8. IPL 2015
Coming together for yet another promo campaign for another season of the IPL, the film titled ‘India ka Tyohaar’ as conceptualised by DDB Mudra once again showcased the cricket commentators as the stars who shook their legs on to the tunes while the IPL became the fest of India, uniting people from all the four regions- North, South, East, West together to celebrate the joy of cricket in the country.
9. IPL 2016
In 2016, the IPL once again had two promo campaigns, one of which was a song ‘Ek India Happywala’ which enthused a sense of positivity amongst the audience and the other ‘Pistah’ which made people groove on to the beats of the song.
Composed by Salim Sulaiman and Sung by Raj Pandit, ‘Ek India Happywala’ spread the message of love and aimed to unite Indians through its melody and lyrics which went to point out that if there had to be one India, it had to be the one where no hate or fear is mongered but what is spread is victories, love and happiness.
The other promo campaign ‘Pistah’ on the other hand showcased cricket fans coming on to the streets to cheer for their favourite cricketers and teams in what look like a rally and dancing their hearts out to keep the enthusiastic fervour high during the course of the tournament.
10. IPL 2017
As the impact cricketing property completed its decade long journey in India, the promo campaign for the IPL 2017 titled ‘Wah Re Wah’ showcased how the cricket frenzy saw a blend of various cultures and people reuniting to witness the sport which is almost followed like a religion in India in all its glory. Via its lyrics and visuals, the film also paid a tribute to all the people who work on and off the field along with fans to make the sporting event a success.
11. IPL 2018
For the 11th edition of the cricket tournament, the promo campaign titled ‘Yeh Khel Hai Sher Jawano Ka’, showcased various clippings from the past IPL tournaments and celebrations alongside animated graphics to depict the magnanimity of the property and how it has been viewed by audiences from all walks of life to witness the best being pitted against the best on the cricket pitch.
12. IPL 2019
The promo campaign of the 12th edition of the IPL titled ‘Game Banayega Name’ highlighted as to how someone who played the game of cricket in the gullies could actually get a chance to make a name for himself by displaying his sheer skills in the game.
The campaign featured a slew of cricketers ranging from M S Dhoni, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and more. The idea behind the campaign was to depict how the ‘game’ in itself is enough for someone to make a mark whilst reuniting different people from different colours and teams.
13. IPL 2020
Marking the beginning of banter and the trend of fans taking a jab at each other’s favourite teams or cricketers, the promo campaign titled ‘Ab Khel Bolega’ portrayed how the meme culture has picked pace in terms of the IPL not just on social media but made its way in routine life at large.
14. IPL 2021
The promo campaign for IPL 2021 throws light on the fact that with the internet boom happening in India with the onset of 5G era, the success mantra of Indians has also evolved with time and therefore the IPL also saluted the newer, bolder and more confident spirit of India, but in its own way.
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Since 2021 was the year when the Covid-19 hit the face of the earth and disrupted life with many countries option for a nationwide lockdown, the IPL was also conducted in a two-phased manner and while the first phase ended in May 2021, the tournament resumed in Dubai in September. As a result, another promo campaign for the tournament was rolled out.
Titled ‘Asli Picture Abhi Baaki Hai’, the film portrayed M S Dhoni narrating as to how ‘toofan’ would come in the post-interval or second leg of the tournament with all sorts of elements like drama, suspense and entertainment.
15. IPL 2022
With the first year of the pandemic leading the IPL to be conducted in a two phased manner, the year 2022 saw the tournament once again returning to the Indian soil with Tata being the Title sponsor of the IPL.
The promo campaign, titled ‘Ye Pagalpan Ab Normal Hai’, for the IPL 2022 once again featured M S Dhoni, this time engaging the public by viewing the tournament with them and highlighting the audience’s craziness of watching IPL wherever and whenever possible is nothing but normal as the tournament did revive after disruptions in the previous year, reflecting the collective hope and enthusiasm of fans for the tournament.
16. IPL 2023
The year 2023 was the first year when the rights of showcasing the tournament on digital and TV were with two distinct entities- Reliance and Star, respectively. Hence, the two had rolled out two distinct promo campaigns for getting the viewers on to their respective platforms- OTT and TV.
The promo campaign launched by Star Sports, titled ‘Shor On Game On’, encapsulated the essence of the tournament and the spirit of camaraderie whilst emphasizing on the significance of celebrating the IPL season loudly and joyously with friends and family, hinting at viewing together as a team, which is possible on TV in a better fashion. The ad featured M S DHoni, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and more.
Having won the digital rights of the tournament, Reliance’s OTT platform under Viacom 18, JioCinema also rolled out an ad campaign for getting the viewers to log on to their platform. Conceptualized by Ogilvy, the campaign titled ‘Digital India Ka Tata IPL’ was a satire on the redundancy of appointment viewing and therefore highlighted the various features that can be unlocked when watching the IPL on JioCinema. The ad featured two of the prominent OTT stars- Mirzapur’s Shweta Tiwari and Patal Lok’s Abhishek Banerjee alongside M S Dhoni.
17. IPL 2024
Marking the second year of the IPL being showcased on two different platforms- JioCinema and Star Sports, both Reliance and Star once again made their attempt at luring the audience into their respective platforms- OTT and TV via two different promo campaigns.
Portraying the vibrant anticipation surrounding the tournament, Star Sports’ promo campaign ‘Gajab IPL Ke Ajab Rang’ depicted fans preparing to watch the IPL in a lively manner, with scenes of colourful excitement in bustling city streets and highlighted the annual anticipation and celebration that the IPL brings to people of all ages across India, eagerly awaiting the joyous arrival of the Indian Premier League.
From the house of Reliance, JioCinema on the other hand rolled out a three-part promo campaign titled ‘Sab Yahan, Aur Kahaan!’ for IPL 2024. The first of these films featured MS Dhoni playing a dual role- as a grandfather and grandson, in a comical twist where neither of the two could keep their phone aside even though the grandfather himself was facing chest discomfort and taken into an ambulance where the attendant too along with the two couldn’t let go of watching the IPL on the phone.
The other promo film showed one of the metro coaches filled with people watching IPL on their phones and a pickpocket attempting to steal a passengers wallet from her purse and failing to do so as it was at the same time that the girl cried out ‘Pakad, Pakad, Pakad’ watching the game even though she knew that the pickpocket was about to steal her wallet.
Keeping up the humorous decorum, the third promo campaign from JioCinema was a 20-second video which showcased a scenario of a marriage where the groom gets nervous on hearing the bride’s relatives’ passing comments as he misunderstands them, only to realise that the comments were about the IPL match and not his marriage.
