Cricket, India’s beloved national pastime, has long been a goldmine for advertisers. However, the landscape of cricket advertising has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Brands are increasingly shifting their focus from traditional media to digital platforms, leveraging the vast reach and engagement offered by social media and online channels.
The recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy witnessed a plethora of brands embracing digital media to connect with cricket enthusiasts. From fun banters to innovative social media engagements, brands left no stone unturned in their quest to capture the attention of the masses. As the cricketing world converges on digital platforms, brands are devising innovative strategies to stand out from the clutter. Moment marketing has emerged as a key tactic, with brands capitalising on real-time events and trending conversations to create engaging content.
For instance, during the ICC Champions Trophy, Pepsi launched a series of witty ads featuring Indian cricketers, which quickly went viral on social media. One notable ad was Pepsi’s fun ‘Any Time is Pepsi Time’ ad, which took a clever dig at Coca-Cola. This light-hearted jab not only entertained fans but also highlighted the brand’s creativity and agility.
“At PepsiCo India, we thrive on creating cultural moments that spark conversations. With the ‘Anytime is Pepsi Time’ campaign, we set the stage for a bold and refreshing dialogue that resonated with brands and consumers alike. On a celebratory Sunday, Pepsi took over Blinkit, ensuring consumers could grab ice-cold Pepsi cans at 50% off anytime during the game — making every moment more refreshing and spontaneous. The buzz around the campaign sparked an ‘Anytime’ wave across social platforms, with brands and consumers joining the ‘Anytime’ dialogue. After all, Pepsi has always been about creating epic moments—because when it comes to ‘Anytime’ refreshment, Yeh Dil Maange More!” says a PepsiCo India Spokesperson.
Another interesting occurrence was during the ICC Champions Trophy, Philips India’s Instagram account launched a humorous campaign to take advantage of a silly error that landed tonnes of Virat Kholi fans on their page. Speaking about the instance and the #NotTheSamePhilips campaign, Vidyut Kaul, Head of Personal Health, Philips Growth Region (JAPAC, ISC, META & LATAM), says, “Cricket is more than just a sport in India—it’s an emotion. During the ICC Champions Trophy match between India and New Zealand, an unexpected twist led to an amusing case of mistaken identity, where passionate fans of Virat Kohli mistakenly landed on Philips India’s Instagram account, confusing cricketer Glenn Phillips with our brand. Given that Virat Kohli is also the face of Philips Male Grooming, we saw a unique opportunity to engage with fans in a fun and meaningful way. This led to the launch of our campaign, #NotTheSamePhilips, which resonated strongly with our audiences.”
He further explains that through a series of engaging posts and a high-impact collaboration with Blinkit, the campaign sparked a surge in interactions, reaching over 36 million people in just a span of 10 days.
“We saw an 88.3% increase in online engagement, with 48,379 unique shares, and a remarkable 5x spike in glance views for our Male Grooming portfolio on leading e-marketplaces (Amazon India). This moment reinforced the power of social listening and real-time engagement, proving that utilising a topical scenario and the right approach can turn conversations into impactful brand moments,” Vidyut states.
Other brands, such as Zomato, Swiggy, and Blinkit, also made a splash with their innovative campaigns. Zomato cleverly tied India’s golden victory to the tradition of buying gold in the UAE. Swiggy celebrated India’s win with a captivating animation that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of victory while Blinkit humorously linked its speedy delivery services to India’s swift win.
Max Protein also joined the league with their ‘Protein Snacking matlab No Cheating’ campaign over social media, which garnered over 1.4 million views, had over 6000 post interactions and got them a profile activity of over 30,000.
“The ‘Protein Snacking matlab No Cheating’ campaign was designed to reinforce the importance of mindful, healthy, protein-rich snacking, especially in a market where unhealthy options are often the default. To create maximum impact, we adopted a multi-platform approach. During live cricket matches, we strategically placed our ads on the OTT streaming app where the matches were being aired. Simultaneously, we amplified the campaign on social media, leveraging moments from the matches to create contextual, real-time content that resonated with fans,” says Ravinder Varma, Sr. Brand Manager, RiteBite Max Protein.
The 18th edition of the Tata IPL 2025, which kicked off on March 22 and is set to conclude by May 25, has also started witnessing brand collaborations and partnerships. The Sleep Company teamed up with Mumbai Indians (MI) this IPL season as their official comfort partner to highlight the importance of quality sleep in achieving big milestones as well as excelling in everyday activities.
“In the case of cricketers, we want to emphasise how adequate, quality sleep improves their performance on the field. As part of the campaign, we have rolled out a special video anthem for the MI team - ‘Jam ke soyenge, tabhi toh jam ke dhoyenge’. This showcases how players are found sleeping the night before the match, leaving fans anxious; however, they deliver their best performance the next day. The anthem celebrates the spirit of Mumbai Indians while reinforcing The Sleep Company’s belief that proper rest is the secret weapon of champions. By merging cricket fandom with the importance of sleep, this campaign stands as a powerful intersection of sports, wellness, and consumer excitement,” says Ripal Chopda, CMO, The Sleep Company.
Another brand joining the bandwagon is consumer electronics company, Ubon which has announced an extension of its engagement with Rajasthan Royals as the Official Audio Partner for IPL 2025 season. The brand has its logo on the players’ helmets, which has increased brand recognition and recall.
“The association with Rajasthan Royals as the audio partner has been a very fruitful exercise in terms of geographical expansion for Ubon. People across India and even abroad are now acquainted with the brand. This gives us ample scope to showcase our products to relevant partners across the country, thereby expanding our geographical presence,” says Lalit Arora, COO and Co-Founder, UBON. Speaking about their partnership with Rajasthan Royals, he says, “Our partnership with Rajasthan Royals started in 2023, and the upcoming year marks our third year as the team’s official audio partner. With the Ubon logo prominently displayed on players’ helmets, I believe people across India will recognise and recall the brand more than ever.”
Japanese watchmaker Seiko on the other hand, announced its unique partnership with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the upcoming T20 season 2025.
“Our partnership with Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the T20 2025 season is a natural extension of Seiko’s legacy in sports and precision timekeeping. The campaign is designed to celebrate the perfect moments of the game, blending the passion of cricket with the craftsmanship of Seiko timepieces,” says Niladri Mazumder, President & COO, SEIKO India. Through co-branded campaigns and special fan experiences, Seiko has seen significant engagement from both cricket enthusiasts and watch collectors. Speaking about the consumer response to this partnershp, Mazumder adds, “The response has been highly encouraging, with a noticeable increase in brand conversations, digital interactions, and consumer excitement around the collaboration. Our collaboration with RCB has delivered strong brand visibility and deeper consumer engagement. Associating Seiko with a team known for its resilience and excellence has reinforced our brand’s positioning. The campaign has enhanced our brand equity by aligning Seiko with moments of high intensity and precision—values that define both our watches and the game of cricket.”
While digital platforms have undoubtedly transformed the cricket advertising landscape, the future of cricket advertising lies in omnichannel marketing. This approach involves striking a balance between traditional and digital media to create a seamless brand experience that engages fans across multiple touchpoints.
“The landscape of cricket advertising is evolving rapidly and while TV remains a strong medium, the rise of digital-first campaigns, social media, and interactive brand activations is reshaping how brands connect with audiences. We see an omnichannel approach as the future, where billboards, retail touchpoints, and digital storytelling work together to create an integrated brand experience,” Ripal adds.
Niladri says, “The engagement between sports and brands is ever evolving. In India, cricket tops engagement. While television remains a key medium, the shift towards Digital, social media, and on-ground activations has been remarkable. Billboards, experiential marketing, and digital storytelling allow brands to create a deeper and more interactive connection with fans. Social media, in particular, has transformed cricket advertising, offering real-time engagement and personalised content.”
In the future, we can expect to see brands combining the reach and impact of traditional media, such as television and outdoor advertising, with the targeting and engagement capabilities of digital platforms. This balanced approach will enable brands to create more effective, cohesive, and immersive marketing campaigns that resonate with cricket fans across the country.
“Cricket has been a proven growth accelerator for brands across categories like auto, tech, durables, and CPG. Unlike any other sport, Live cricket is uniquely designed for advertising, offering well-timed ad breaks that drive high engagement; hence, brands often do not need to use non-live mediums. Brands need to think beyond their basic presence in cricket and unlock its full potential with a mix of on-ground partnerships, on-air inventory, and a great idea that brings them together. When executed well as per Marketing Mix Modeling or MMM, we have seen cricket effectiveness anywhere between 2-4 times of prime time on TV or any digital video platform,” says Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Officer and Office Head- West, South and East, Wavemaker India.
As the cricketing world continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the future of cricket advertising is omnichannel, and brands that adopt this approach will be the ones scoring big.
