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As India readies itself for another global cricket spectacle, brands are once again stepping into the cultural space the sport occupies. Hyundai Motor India Limited’s latest ICC-linked campaign clearly reflects how associations once defined by logo visibility and broadcast reach, are now transformed into partnerships shaped by experience and participation. Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Hyundai Motor India Limited has rolled out ‘Deewane India ka Deewana Humsafar’, a nationwide 360° activation and brand campaign anchored in cricket fandom and built across media, dealerships and on-ground experiences.
The campaign is part of Hyundai Motor Company’s newly signed global Premier Partnership with the ICC for 2026–27. While speaking to IMPACT Magazine, Virat Khullar, Head of Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Limited reflected on the reasons. He said, “We signed this brand-new partnership, in December 2025. Globally, Hyundai resonates strongly with sport. We’ve been associated with FIFA for a long time, and cricket, with over 2.5 billion followers worldwide, was a natural next step, especially for markets like India and the subcontinent.” Khullar added that the decision was driven as much by cultural alignment as by scale. In India, he mentions, common aspirations, common passions and cultural touchpoints strongly matter.
At the heart of the campaign, is a brand film, directed by Vasan Bala, features Shah Rukh Khan and reimagines the track ‘Yeh Dil Deewana’ by Tips Music. Rather than positioning Khan as a star endorser or sporting icon, the film casts him as a fan, mirroring the everyday Indian viewer consumed by the game. On being asked why Shahrukh and not any other cricketer, Khullar explained, “There was a conscious decision not to bring in a cricketer for this film. The idea was to show fandom, not performance. Shah Rukh appears as one of the biggest fans of the game. It’s about people who are ‘deewane’ for cricket.” While Hyundai does work with athletes, including women cricketers on its brand roster, Khullar noted that this campaign was designed to avoid clutter and focus on shared emotion rather than sporting credibility.
The whole activation also puts light on how sports partnerships are being activated today. According to Khullar, the focus is no longer limited to reach metrics, “At one point, brands looked largely at top-level visibility by integrating into sports programming. Though that still exists, today, people are living through experiences—concerts, travel, drives. That’s where the brand needs to be present.”
This shift has embraced Hyundai’s multi-layered approach. This campaign includes connected TV integrations, radio and digital activations, dealership-led experiences, social contests and city-level fan engagement initiatives. Hyundai is also a co-powered presenter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on connected TV, targeting premium and affluent households.
One of the more notable innovations is an AI-led contextual advertising tool on connected TV, designed to reach audiences even when they are not actively watching cricket. “When a high-excitement moment happens, like a wicket or a half-century, the system will pick it up in real time and serve a contextual ad across other OTT platforms,” Khullar explained. “It’s an industry-first approach, not just for the category.”
Beyond media, Hyundai has activated cricket-themed zones, ICC branding and special displays, including co-branded vehicles in over 600 dealerships nationwide. A dealership-led test drive campaign offers consumers the chance to win World Cup match tickets, while initaitaives like ‘Hyundai Trophy Connect’ has taken the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy to cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurugram. Digital engagement forms another pillar. The ‘Cricket ka Sabse Bada Deewana’, a user-generated content contest invites fans to share their cricket memories, with winners receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to attend a World Cup match.
However, with a 360° spread, measurement often becomes a question. So, Hyundai is tracking performance across the funnel. “We are looking at top-funnel metrics, test drive numbers, website interactions and social sentiment over a two to two-and-a-half-month period. With an investment of this scale, the objectives span awareness, engagement and dealership impact, ” Khullar said.
For Hyundai, the ICC partnership is positioned as a foundation rather than a one-off burst. Khullar addressed this as the biggest campaign for 2026, adding that the brand will continue to adapt its media and partnership strategies as consumption patterns evolve. He adds, “The objective is to be present where the consumer is, without disrupting the experience, and to integrate meaningfully into moments that matter.”
