Kerala Super League’s campaign ‘Game before the game’, released ahead of International Women’s Day 2025, has secured the 30th position in IMPACT’s Top 75 Campaigns of 2025.
The campaign gained traction online through a promotional film featuring Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Kerala cricket icon and Indian international Sanju Samson. In the film, Tharoor wearing the jersey of Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC is seen confidently telling Sanju Samson over a phone call that the Kombans will lift the KSL trophy this season. Samson, who is also the co-owner of Malappuram FC, fires back with a witty retort: “Jab tak Malappuram hai, Trivandrum ko cup jeetna aasaan nahi hai.”
The exchange culminates with a puzzled Sanju Samson delivering a punchline in Malayalam, telling Tharoor, “Rajasthan marubhoomi mein manal math daalo, Shashi sir,” which roughly translates to “Don’t export sand to the deserts of Rajasthan.” While the line lands humorously, the reference to Rajasthan has sparked speculation among cricket fans, especially in light of the uncertainty surrounding Samson’s next move in the Indian Premier League.
The campaign was curated by Toki, with the creative direction led by Anjo Jose Kandathil, co-founder of the agency.
For the 2025 rankings, the IMPACT editorial board evaluated hundreds of campaigns across parameters such as narrative clarity, creative execution, originality and production quality. The final list recognises campaigns that effectively delivered strong brand messaging through engaging and culturally resonant storytelling.
