The Indian Premier League (IPL) stands as a pinnacle moment for brands to reach out to a massive audience, drawing eyes glued to screens like no other time of year. As India’s foremost sporting tournament, even this year it has provided an unparalleled advertising platform for brands to engage with viewers through innovative ad campaigns.

This year, the IPL bandwagon sees a myriad of brands, from Dream11 to CRED to Zomato, jumping aboard. For 16 years, IPL has captivated cricket enthusiasts, blending excitement, glamour, and entertainment and this year is no different.

Every time a new season rolls around, it brings along a burst of innovative ad campaigns. Let’s explore some of the inventive campaigns crafted for IPL 2024.

Zomato

The online food ordering and delivering app, Zomato launched a set of AI-powered ads for its restaurant partners as part of its campaign for this year’s IPL season.

Zomato’s in-house creative team has conceptualised the ads, featuring their brand ambassador, Ranveer Singh, along with Samantha Prabhu and cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara. The AI-powered ad films showcase the name of each restaurant partner along with their signature dish, serving as a tailored promotional tool during the league.

Dream11

Dream11, a sponsor for multiple IPL teams this season, introduced its advertising campaign for IPL 2024 called ‘Team Se Bada Kuch Nahi’. The campaign features multiple cricketers and celebrities in humorous ad films, highlighting the healthy competition between teams.

The campaign started with a set-up film released on Dream11’s YouTube channel. Now, a series of ad films are being shown during the season, and they will be airing on Star Sports, JioCinema, and other online platforms. The campaign film has been conceptualised by Tilt Brand Solutions.

As part of the campaign, Dream11 rolled out an ad featuring father-in-law and son-in-law duo Suniel Shetty and KL Rahul, who is associated with the Lucknow Super Giants, and cricketer Rohit Sharma, associated with Mumbai Indians. In the ad, Rahul approached Sharma and Shetty at a table, with Sharma humorously calling it a “family dinner”. Shetty jokingly stated that until the IPL ends, Sharma would be considered his son as well, implying his support for Mumbai Indians.

Charged by Thums Up

Charged by Thums Up rolled out an ad, starring Aamir Khan and Darsheel Safary from ‘Taare Zameen Par’, created by Ogilvy.

In the ad, Khan plays Safary’s grandpa, cheering up his disappointed grandson with Charged by Thums Up on his birthday, after missing out on his dream college. The advertisement effectively leverages the nostalgia associated with the film and the charm of the actors to create an engaging narrative.

CRED

After skipping IPL in 2023, CRED has returned with entertaining ads for this season. In one ad, they featured former Indian tennis player Leander Paes, where he seeks a discount in a restaurant but the server informs him that it’s only for CRED UPI users. The only option left with Paes was to use a mosquito bat, showcasing his tennis skills in a playful manner. In the ad, he was seen reflecting on it, which turned out to be really funny.

CRED, who is also the Co-presenting sponsor of JioCinema this season, in one of its latest ads featured Australian cricketer David Warner and Director SS Rajamouli. The ad humorously shows Rajamouli unable to get a discount on IPL tickets due to not having a CRED UPI. Warner offers to help him get tickets in exchange for a role in a movie. Rajamouli then decides to switch to CRED UPI when he reflects on the entire situation.

BigBasket

BigBasket’s latest advertisement, created by Humour Me, humorously showcases its commitment to delivering orders within 10 minutes, featuring cricketers Virat Kohli, Lockie Ferguson, and Alzarri Joseph.

In the 30-second ad, three players pose for the camera, with Kohli stating “delivering in 10 minutes.” Initially confused about the single line in the script, Kohli questions if this is the entirety of their ad. The ad ends with a slide emphasising their tagline message that since they deliver in 10 minutes, they also created the ad in the same timeframe.

BigBasket is also the Official Quick Commerce Partner of RCB.

Parle Products

Parle Products, the Co-presenting sponsor of JioCinema, launched an advertising campaign during the IPL to highlight its vast range of products. The campaign, titled ‘Naam Toh Suna Hoga,’ consisted of five short commercials, conceptualised by Fundamental, emphasising the idea that when it comes to quality, Parle is the answer. The campaign dropped on JioCinema and Star Sports.

PayZapp

HDFC Bank’s PayZapp rolled out its new ad starring RCB players. Created by Wondrlab India, the ad humorously shows the irony of players having no choice in the ad but plenty of payment options on the app. The RCB players were seen “selling” like never before, in the ad.

Britannia

Britannia’s latest campaign conceptualised by Talented.Agency, “Britannia Khao, Paris Jao,” taps into the aspirational spirit of India, showcasing a nation that dreams big and strives for gold. The ad presents an engaging offer where consumers can play a game called “Hungry for Gold” and stand a chance to win an exciting trip to Paris.

Dalmia Cement

Dalmia Cement’s latest ad campaign, featuring Ranveer Singh, aims to highlight the exceptional strength of their product. The advertisement creatively showcases the durability and robustness of Dalmia Cement.

Gulf Oil

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) sponsor, Gulf Oil, launched a campaign with Dentsu Creative, featuring a distinctive ad where the advertisement team eagerly awaits Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a shoot, only to be surprised by his lookalike.

The campaign was made around the concept that this year, the CSK team has decided not to waste time shooting ads. Instead, they are encouraging CSK fans to participate. Fans are invited to visit the campaign website and take part in creating ads, while the team focuses on practice and preparation. The ad features the tagline” Players will practise. Fans will make Gulf Oil ads”.