A random comment on an approximately 20-minute YouTube video, a compilation of all IPL promotional campaigns from 2008 to 2021, reads ‘In search of gold (Star Sports), we lost a diamond (Sony Max).’ As one of the most liked and most replied to comments on the video, it appears right at the top. A cursory look at the others reveals how emotionally invested people were in the IPL of those days. They still are, but more in the sport, their regional leanings and favourite cricketers; not as much in ‘brand IPL.’ At least that’s what a quick qualitative analysis of this particular ‘research sample’ gives away.
The first decade of IPL was an emotion for many. But could this just be attributed to nostalgia or the novelty factor? After all, that was the first time Indian audiences were experiencing sports or cricket as entertainment. Not really, because this sentiment is echoed by the admen themselves, and even some marketers, who lament the lost opportunity. From being touted as the Superbowl of Indian Advertising to becoming an unmissable ‘marketplace’ for brands, IPL has come a long way. Growing every year in value, advertiser participation, and audience reach, it became a decacorn valued at USD 10.9Bn in 2022. IPL reigns supreme not just across cricket but all media properties. Its reach is unparalleled and the potential is still huge. But something seems to have been left behind. Sure, it’s still a ‘carnival,’ a festival that no brand would like to miss, however, ad makers can’t help but reminisce about their ‘Superbowl’ days when IPL used to be a festival of creativity.
AN EVOLVING PITCH
The IPL - a combination of cricket and entertainment - had to be a winning proposition in cricket and Bollywood-crazy India. And so it was, right from the word ‘go’. But like every young adult who must wake up to the vagaries of life one day, once acquired by Star India for a record 158% premium in 2017, Sony’s (creatively) indulgent prince had to suit up for the big bad corporate world.
It had to sell itself hard to an ever-growing audience pouring in from both the TV and the instantaneously measurable Digital space. Around that time when traditional advertising had just about started to embrace and adapt to the realm of tech-driven creativity, Star holding both TV and Digital rights spelled some relief. In fact, in 2018, the broadcaster went ahead and launched the now-discontinued Star Re. Imagine Awards to recognise and encourage creativity and innovation in the use of integrated media in advertising campaigns aired on both Star Sports & Hotstar. But things were to become more difficult in the next i.e. the current cycle (2023-27) when, split between Disney Star and Viacom, the rights value appreciated by a staggering 196%.
‘The most expensive media in the country has the worst quality advertising today’
R. Balki
Filmmaker & Adman
My experience of judging some IPL ads recently was shocking. The most expensive media in the country has possibly the worst quality advertising today. It’s pretty mediocre for the tons and tons of money that we are spending on IPL. We all look forward to the Super Bowl commercials as much as the Super Bowl itself. Why can’t the same be true of IPL, which is supposed to be premium advertising? Unlike most other countries we have a simple audience that is hooked on to cricket. It is watched by the maximum number of people, but we are showing this captive audience some of the worst ads ever. We spend so much money on the IPL, but it looks like we hardly put any time or thought into it. Why does there have to be a last-minute rush to make IPL ads? Shouldn’t it be through the year?
There is an extraordinary amount of fear in marketers’ heads today. I’ve never seen this before. We’ve regressed in communication, the quality of advertising, the ideation. People are playing safe on the most expensive platform. Advertising is and will always be a bit of a gamble. After all that logic and common sense, the advertiser should be willing to take a leap of faith, otherwise s/he should not be an advertiser. It’s the ambition of the marketers that dictates the quality of advertising. They are the ones who should be insisting on top-notch creativity in the IPL. But in their heads, today, creativity is a word for everything that doesn’t work. It’s like saying, ‘We aren’t sure whether advertising works or not; but let’s do it anyway.’ The agencies are also kind of confused. Advertising is supposed to lead social and behavioural change, it is supposed to lead fashion trends, it is the one that’s supposed to give you the new catchphrase, the new slang, but we are so way behind culture today that we are following social media trends. It’s just stupid. To be brave is to lead. The brave new world of advertising that we want to see must lead the trends, but we seem to be revelling in confusion.
IPL advertising has to be more exciting than IPL, otherwise, it’s a waste of money. All the reach and viewership will not matter if you’ve failed to reward the viewer.
With that, the IPL pitch evolved from celebrating entertainment (Sony) to celebrating cricket (Star) and most recently to celebrating the medium (Jio vs. Star). Packaging being indicative of the content, the IPL of Sony with pitches like ‘Carnival ad,’ ‘Manoranjan Ka Baap,’ ‘Bharat Bandh,’ ‘Dil Jumping Japang,’ ‘India ka Tyohaar,’ ‘Ek India Happy Wala,’ ‘Pista ad’ made celebrities out of the gang of four - Shibani Dandekar, Sameer Kochchar, Gaurav Kapoor, Archana Vijaya - and just plain eggheads, the ZooZoos. Virgin Mobile’s ‘Indian Panga League’ (a series of 105 online films aired on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter during IPL live streaming) and Amazon India’s ‘Chonkpur Cheetahs’ became some of the most-loved ads of the decade, setting benchmarks that were hard to beat.
On the other hand, Star Sports’ ‘Best vs. Best,’ ‘Game Banayega Name,’ ‘Ab Khel Bolega,’ ‘India ka Apna Mantra,’ and ‘Yeh Ab Normal Hai’ IPLs had a generous splattering of cricket and Bollywood celebrities helping to transform fledgling startups into brands with cheeky campaigns. Quite unequivocally, the ones that have stood out and stuck with the audience are the likes of Dream11, Cred, Zomato Premier League and Swiggy’s ‘No Order Too Small’.
In 2023, Jio Cinema directed ‘Digital India’ to ditch the boring TV and watch ‘Asli IPL’ / ‘Digital India ka Digital TATA IPL bilkul free’ on its app. Star Sports’ ‘Shor on, Game on’ campaign dropped subtle hints with visuals celebrating cricket, er…IPL as a big screen phenomenon. Much like marketers who were confronted by the dilemma of where to park their IPL money, creativity too was divided between mediums. The pitch had changed.
Overall, Amer Jaleel, Founder of Curativity and former Group CCO and Chairman of MullenLowe Lintas Group, believes there isn’t a category of IPL ads, rather campaigns that are launched timed to it. For him the only difference, if any, in the IPL of old and new has stemmed from the client’s reading of what pitch they need. “My experience is that agencies whether creative, media or social, all react to a client objective and a client culture. The quality of the thinking and the structure of the activity, both have to be driven by the client,” he says.
Sharing a practical take on the developments, Jaleel remarks, “IPL is a bazaar of a kind. You need to have a big shop in this bazaar to come to the attention of people; buy a huge amount of time and carpet bomb. Some little residue will get retained. When big-budget brands can buy an insert in every available slot, the game changes from standout creativity to repeat value creativity. There’s no rule, but traditionally, quirk does have a limited shelf life. The same thing that you smiled at can become an irritant over the long IPL season. A nice ad for example is not as much cut through but can deliver that longevity and almost become a pleasant wallpaper. So, the essential nature of how you position on the IPL has changed.”
Samir Datar, Chief Strategy Officer at Crayons Advertising who gave his customary commentary on the best IPL ads a miss last year, rues, “IPL, perhaps, is a marquee event as big as the NFL. For some strange reason, brands and advertisers have not given it that stature. Mediocrity reigns. Pan masala ads pretty much hog the space along with start-ups who think of the ads as reels for Instagram. In this sea of mediocrity, Dream11 campaigns have stood out. The initial CRED campaign also sparkled. The rest, well the only one who gains is the broadcaster with money. I guess most people just want eyeballs and no connection with the audience. A fallout of too much hangover from doing ‘digital films’ for social media.”
A QUESTION OF LEGACY VS. NEW-AGE BRANDS?
While there is no definitive answer to this question, agency and marketing heads share some observations. Giving us a perspective from the marketer’s side, Krishnarao Buddha, Sr. Category Head - Marketing, Parle Products - a regular advertiser on the IPL - says that while the decision is subjective, there were certain reasons why key brands chose to move away. “First, over some time, the ratings have moderated to some extent, and second, the costs have become highly prohibitive. The decade of IPL on Sony was still viable, but since Star acquired the property at a disproportionately high valuation, they had to pass the cost down to the advertisers which led to the exit of many legacy brands. Not that they couldn’t pay, but shelling out 12-17 lakhs for a 10-second slot just didn’t seem like a sensible investment. Investing in some other channel would have brought them better returns.”
And so, the next wave of advertisers after DLF and Pepsi followed. These were the Chinese phone makers VIVO and OPPO, which made way for the e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in the coming years. Then came edtech, fintech and more recently, the fantasy gaming brands. “Conventional players like those in the FMCG and telecom sectors, who displayed the finest and most enjoyable examples of advertising and brand building on the IPL, were replaced to a large extent. Also, with the shift in IPL’s positioning from entertainment to cricket, the flavour of advertising underwent a marked change. So, this is one of the reasons why we don’t see as many memorable campaigns anymore. Then, one needs to have a great plan and a great creative that is also contextual if they want to advertise on this platform. Across the board, brands don’t seem to be fulfilling this fundamental requirement today,” adds Buddha.
Sampurna Rakshit, Marketing Head, Mia by Tanishq agrees. Having started its sports marketing journey with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Mia executed a highly successful campaign ‘Gift Smart, Gift Mia’ in the subsequent year with IPL 2021. “It was the first time we associated with the IPL and the insight behind it was that around 50% of Mia is gifted by men to women on their birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, etc. Traditionally, we had never specifically targeted men as a TG, so we thought what better way to do it than with the IPL.”
Despite an impactful innings, the brand chose business sense over splurging on the IPL and decided to stay away for some time. Serendipitously, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) happened in 2023. “Needless to say, the IPL inventory has become prohibitively expensive. So, we decided to shelve IPL for a while, but last year when the WPL was launched, we jumped on to the opportunity. It was a natural fit for our brand; a natural fit for women achievers. Our current proposition is that of the star; someone who tides over self-doubt to emerge confident. It resonates perfectly with women’s cricket which has always been the story of the underdogs. The campaign delivered on all counts for us. We were so emboldened by the results that we have renewed our contract with RCB as the principal sponsor this year.”
However, contrary to perception, tech startups witnessed a decline in participation in events like IPL 2023 and the 2023 World Cup, shares Hema Malik, Chief Investment Officer, IPG Mediabrands India. “In IPL 2023, the number of tech startups dropped significantly from 46 in 2022 to only 16. A similar trend was observed in the 2023 World Cup, where tech startup participation decreased to 14, while traditional categories saw participation from over 150 entities. Moreover, when looking at tech sponsors specifically, the numbers were limited in both events. In the 2023 World Cup, only one tech sponsor (Phone Pe) was among the 13 broadcasting sponsors. In IPL 2023, Dream11 was the sole tech sponsor among approximately 12 sponsors. This decline could be attributed to the funding winter.”
With startups taking the backseat, we asked Parle’s Buddha if legacy players will bring back the sheen to the IPL this season. “Not that easy”, he says. “Unless the rates are viable, most will steer away”.
Answering the same question, Shrenik Gandhi, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, White Rivers Media observes, “The landscape is dynamic, and established brands are adept in navigating shifts. While the exact extent to which they fill the gap created by retreating startups remains to be seen, their presence will evolve alongside the space. As for costs, brands may prioritise agility and value. They’ll invest strategically, and not based on past benchmarks. Increased demand from new players could drive competition and upward pressure. However, if the space matures quickly, it could also lead to optimization, but the net effect will depend on the interplay of various factors in the upcoming season.”
Fondly remembering ZooZoos as the biggest milestone in IPL advertising, Emmanuel Upputuru, Founder & CCO, EFGH Brand Innovations, says, “I don’t think we’ve gone beyond that. One of the reasons I believe is that legacy brands are moving away from the IPL. While startups are filling up the space, most of them are not thinking long-term. We have seen many companies, and sometimes the entire market crash, as it happened in the case of the cryptocurrency. So, they aim to catch people’s attention quickly, and hence, the desperate attempts to create anything with or without a celebrity. There was a time when Cricket used to stir ad rivalries between brands like Pepsi and Coke. We have worked on such campaigns for months, but today, even the legacy brands are stitching together last-minute campaigns.”
Ayan Banik, Senior Vice President - Brand Planning, Wunderman Thompson Kolkata has observed a similar trend among the legacy brands, but he is not an advocate of the celebrity-led, carpet-bombing approach adopted by the new-age ones either. “Awareness/brand salience is no longer a good enough matrix in today’s hyper-competitive world where there are multiple products/brands offering parity in services. While the word ‘quirky’ has become the marketer’s favourite, it doesn’t do much for the brand other than providing momentary entertainment to the viewer, where they are amused with the content, but can’t recall either the name of the brand or the category that it represents. Talking of celebrities, those without the right brand connection don’t make sense. With one celeb endorsing multiple brands, once again, consumers are left confused. However, when we have smart celebrity integrations with the brand/category like the way Dream 11 has been doing, then it’s an absolute delight and a complete win-win for the brand,” he says.
Commenting on whether the involvement of new-age brands may have forced everyone to up their game on Digital and interactive/integrated campaigns, Banik retorts, “We are still doing some inane pieces of communication on Digital. Creating AI filters with animal heads or getting your face superimposed on a celebrity’s face are kiddish ways of approaching Digital communication. Any piece of communication without a well-defined strategic imperative is useless and a waste of marketing money.”
Vejay Anand, CEO, Ironhill India & Branding Expert believes that while the IPL provides a vast audience and reach, the real impact of advertising comes from telling great stories that resonate with viewers. “Brands must consider whether the IPL investment aligns with their broader marketing goals. Going after reach without ensuring impactful storytelling and brand resonance may dilute the campaign’s effectiveness. They should prioritise quality over quantity and evaluate the IPL as a platform for meaningful engagement, and not just for exposure,” he notes.
Sharing his experience and a comprehensive viewpoint, Sourav Ray, Chief Strategy Officer, Cheil India says that the IPL’s entrenched ecosystem, star power, and vast reach make it a prized playground for advertisers. While every client wants a slice of this pie, their plans and readiness differ. “Some scramble like last-minute exam-takers, resorting to mere congratulatory posts on social media. These are the wallflowers at the party, hoping for a passing glance. But then there are the showstoppers; brands that sponsor dramatic moments in the game – a six, a hat-trick, a last-ball finish. They understand the power of ‘Sahi Hai Moments,’ ‘Super Sixes,’ and ‘Stylish Shots,’ branding themselves onto every epic feat. Others crack the code of digital laughter - jokes on Instagram and Twitter, playful banter with rival brands, and WhatsApp groups buzz with shared entertainment. These are the life of the party, making everyone chuckle and hit the ‘share’ button. Then there are the strategists. They craft campaigns that dance with or without cricket, thriving beyond the IPL’s neon lights. These are the long-term players, building campaigns that endure. For team sponsors who debut products, reshape brand images, and experiment with diverse tactics, the IPL is an unmissable feast.”
Given these observations, it wouldn’t be fair to dismiss the startup-IPL bonhomie as all pomp and show. Even as the Dream 11(s) of the startup world rightfully claim the limelight for the contextual and thoughtful use of celebrities in their campaigns, others have been using the platform to accomplish their marketing objectives in a comparatively restrained, but intelligible manner. Higher ed-tech startup upGrad is one such brand.
Having advertised on the IPL for two consecutive seasons, and now as the co-powered sponsor of Shark Tank Season 3, Ankit Khirwal, Head of Marketing, upGrad gives us an insight into the brand’s strategy behind the associations and how the two properties compare for him. “Both IPL and Shark Tank offer unique opportunities for brand visibility and engagement, albeit with different focuses and demographics. IPL serves as a powerhouse for building instant awareness and reaching diverse audiences across India. Having recorded a viewership of over 462 million globally in the past, it is ideal for impacting top-of-the-funnel metrics at scale. On the other hand, Shark Tank caters to a more urban and digitally savvy audience, with a significant presence on digital platforms where viewership is premium and it creates a contrasting impact. With its infotainment focus, it inspires millions to continue learning and transform their dreams into reality. This closely aligns with upGrad’s forward-thinking and impact-oriented value system, fostering a culture of continuous growth and transformation in Bharat.”
THE BALANCING ACT: MEDIA VS. CREATIVE
The splitting of TV and Digital rights led to fierce competition for ad dollars between Disney Star and Jio Cinema last year, with both struggling to sell their inventory despite lower ad rates. This year as they aim for higher reach, rates have remained competitive. Jio Cinema has, with some exceptions, stuck to old ad rates for the upcoming IPL, and Disney Star has inflation under check. Yet marketers who are ‘divided by mediums and broadcasters but united by reach’, continue to juggle with the media vs. creative or the reach vs. impact game. It turns out that the ratio is highly lopsided.
For car maker Maruti Suzuki it’s 85:15, Shashank Shrivastava, Senior Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India tells us. “Cricket still has a universal reach in India. On an overall level, big tournaments like IPL/WC can reach as high as 450-550Mn consumers in the country within 30-45 days. No other media property/platform can reach such numbers. Not only this, it is the only sport which is equally indexed on all age groups, NCCS strata and gender. Such is the appeal of this sport in India. Other sports like Kabaddi, Football and Tennis are slowly gaining ground, but in terms of reach and appeal are half or one-third at best,” he explains.
While there is an equal focus on engagement and creative reinforcement which has prompted the brand to try out different and new formats, the bigger screen holds prominence when it comes to the IPL. “We have experimented with formats like Max view on Hotstar in WorldCup, 3D breakout billboards on mobile/CTV on Hotstar, and similar stuff on JioCinema like auto-fill and vertical highlight reels (less than 60 secs). Similarly, we stress using bigger screens (TV/CTV) on tournaments like IPL to again emphasise creative reinforcement as well as better long-term brand impact,” shares Srivastava.
Mondelez is among the noteworthy examples of brands that have thoughtfully integrated their brand purpose and philosophy with their IPL campaigns, despite the growing pressure on media spends. Says Nitin Saini- Vice President, Marketing, Mondelez India, “Higher ad volumes and frequency will certainly help from a reach perspective, but to effectively land the communication you need a compelling creative idea that sits well with the brand’s purpose and consumer needs. E.g., over the years, Cadbury Dairy Milk has built on its core guiding principle of generosity by regularly shining a spotlight on often unnoticed or unacknowledged elements of society with its campaigns. With the ‘Proud Sponsors of Ground Staff ‘ campaign, we highlighted the critical role that the often-invisible ground support staff play in the success of top sportspersons and raised awareness about these everyday heroes who build the foundation on which sportspersons achieve national and international glory.”
The brand’s media mix is a healthy integration between TV and digital. “Given our experience in the past, we have been able to build effective associations across both, serving different styles and formats of engagement and collectively driving impact for the campaign,” he adds.
Ayurvedic personal care brand Medimix, owned by Cholayil Pvt Ltd., partnered with Kolkata Knight Riders as their official skin fit and Hygiene Partner for IPL 2020 to promote their newly launched hand wash range. As the rest of their portfolio is predominantly female-focused, they have utilised the IPL primarily as a means of creatively reinforcing the brand, incorporating it into a broader campaign that typically runs during the summer. “The entire strategy is geared towards maximising opportunities, especially considering the significant growth in TV viewership among premium audiences, driven by the rise in PAY TV households and HD households,” says Anupam Katheriya, CEO Cholayil Pvt. Ltd.
According to Katheriya, the IPL offers a dynamic platform to capitalise on exciting moments for branded segments, employing moment-based features for various events during matches. Acknowledging the power of Digital and Connected mediums, he notes, “Digital platforms recorded a viewership of nearly 450 million in 2023, and further growth is anticipated in 2024. The expansive streaming options in 12 languages across 17 feeds provide a larger canvas for customization. With 29 million Connected TV (CTV) devices reaching 126 million viewers among premium audiences, we see great potential. There are various opportunities to leverage unique formats, including homepage video masthead, click-to-WhatsApp, autofill ads for lead generation, in-feed banners, scorecard branding, VOD branding, and more.”
There’s more reason why brands love the IPL. In a first-of-its-kind alliance, early childhood education brand, Bachpan Play School, associated with SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2023 as their ‘Official School Education Partner.’ Their primary objective was to highlight the critical significance of preschool education, thereby enhancing the brand’s visibility and credibility as India’s leading play school, shares Dr. Aakanksha Gupta, Vice President (Media and Communications), S.K. Education Pvt. Ltd. As a regionally strong, mid-sized player, the brand took a nuanced approach to stand out in the IPL clutter, and “The investment has been worth it,” shares Dr. Gupta. She says, “SRH had a wide reach and popularity, therefore our expected returns consisted mainly of increased brand recognition. As Bachpan is a reputed brand in early childhood education, it was a positive brand association for SRH as well. We received a positive response from the public on this unique collaboration, especially because we were the first-ever preschool brand to have taken such a step. It did give a boost to student enrolment and brand perception.”
MORE DEMOCRATISATION ON THE CARDS
Despite its inherent advantage in delivering reach and awareness, brand building on the IPL could become more challenging for brands as it becomes an increasingly egalitarian platform, thanks to the rights split, Digital and the Jio effect. The effect of the rights split will most likely be mitigated once the announced merger between RIL and Disney Star goes through. However, increasing democratisation, growing participation from diverse brands and categories, and the sheer volume of advertising could still be a snag as far as creative ingenuity is concerned. Moreover, sports media and advertising have undergone a sea change since the IPL. Its supremacy notwithstanding, marketers today do have access to other, and in some cases, more relevant options.
According to Abhishek Mukherjee, Chief Business Officer, The Media Ant (media planning and buying agency), “As IPL went free on JioCinema last year, we saw the democratisation of the tournament at both viewer and advertiser levels. With the inventory going Digital, we see rates becoming far more competitive and affordable. Earlier advertisers would have to spend in crores on Linear TV, but now that can be managed at 40%-50% of the same budget with the power of more targeting and reduced wastage on Digital. Hence it becomes more affordable and also accountable with RoI coming into the conversation. The pricing of CPM rates remained highly competitive last year in both IPL and AsiaCupWorld Cup, with Live matches at <200CPM and with VoD <100CPM. Broadcasters aim to onboard more advertisers, hence rates will continue to be competitive.”
Mukherjee shares that with the unbundling of TV and Digital rights, more SMEs came on board the IPL for the first time with 800+ total brands and 50% + being first-time advertisers. “With more than 14+ regional languages in the Live feed on Digital, we also saw deeper penetration of IPL with Tier 2 & 3 focussed brands. This year we are expecting more than 100+ targeting options across demographics, language, geography, interest and cross categories, giving SME brands sharper access to their TG.”
To sum up, TV, Digital, or Connected Television; there is no talking away from the fact that IPL is the undisputed king of the Indian media landscape. With the consumer market in India picking up, and there being significant headroom for ADEX growth, the exaggerated investments going into the IPL which is to play a pivotal role in this growth, are surely backed by some reasoning. Until the sports marketing and advertising ecosystem in India, which is much less developed as compared to its global counterparts, matures, adland and ad-lovers can rest assured in the wisdom that creativity endures irrespective of the medium or the platform.
