IPL Ads- An Overcrowded Market Pushing Indian Brands Out of the Box

IPL has almost managed to transform into a national festival from a cricket tournament over the years. Not just the craze for the matches but also the ads have evolved both financially and creatively. Brands don’t want to miss out on the opportunity the games give them from a combined viewership from stadiums, Television, and Hotstar. Thus, to run their ads digitally, the brands seek the assistance of leading digital marketing agencies in India. They look forward to influencing the buying decisions of their target audience.

Data shows how the ad revenue from the first season of the IPL in 2008 has increased from 400 cr with 2.50 lakh/10-second ad spot to 4000 cr with 16.5 lakh/10-second ad spot in 2022. The projection for Hotstar’s incoming ad revenue added up to 10,000 cr in 2022. Therefore, the digital platforms hold a great value for the brands in terms of advertising in the IPL. Hence, they are always on the lookout for the best digital marketing companies in India to carry out these operations.

The IPL advertising rates have seen a 30-40% hike between 2019-2021, and another 10% hike in 2021-2022. However, the brands are least concerned by the rise in advertising rates because the brand visibility that is achieved during the IPL season is almost impossible at any other time of the year. IPL 2021 data projected 380 million viewers on TV and 6.7 million on Hotstar.

Read More: Instagram Advertising Cost in 2022

Ad revenue of 400 cr to 4000 cr in the 15 years lifespan of IPL and the ongoing success and rise in popularity can be credited to the support from the brands each year. The IPL advertising rates this year will help us understand the involvement of the brands.

• TATA will pay 670 cr for 2 years of Title Sponsorship.
• Co-Presenting Brands like Dream11, Byju’s, PhonePe, and Justdial will invest 200 cr for 180 seconds of IPL ads per match
• Associate Sponsors like Cred, Havells, Garnier, and KamlaPasand will invest 90-150 cr for 80-90 seconds of IPL ads per match.

Two new teams that are Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans have been added to the IPL. The addition of these two teams has resulted in an increase in income revenue for Star India and an outlay for every sponsor by 25%. The 14 extra matches have given 2300 seconds of ad slots per game. This when combined with the viewership from Live TV and Hotstar will create a significant impact in terms of IPL advertising.

Now when such opportunities are involved, the market has become overcrowded. Brands along with advertisers are trying their best to stand out to their audiences and be unique in terms of their advertising. Thus, IPL ads are always unique, smart, and involve out-of-the-box marketing strategies to grab the attention of the audience.

Not only the brands but the IPL brand itself has relied on impactful slogans for promotional ads. “Ye ab normal hai” slogan was for IPL 2022. The slogan emphasized the fact that everything is fair when an IPL match is going on.

Similarly, the slogan for IPL 2014 was “Kanna, keep calm”. This indicated that you can escape uncomfortable circumstances by watching IPL matches on your phone.

Brands too have transformed a lot over the years. They have introduced innovative and exciting concepts that connect with the audience well. There have been innumerable IPL ads that is still remembered by the audience. The ZooZoo ad campaign by Vodafone in 2013 featuring animated characters is still recalled by Indians.

Another innovative and eye-catching trend in IPL advertising was discovered this year and that is “Nostalgia.” It is not unknown to the brands that nostalgia sells like hotcake. Brands like Cred took this opportunity to recreate some of the most iconic and memorable ads of all time.

• The “Nirma ad” was recreated frame to frame starring Karishma Kapoor.
• The popular show “Antaakshari” was brought back with Annu Kapoor and RenukaSahane portraying the show in a rather humorous way.

Read More: Clutch Ranks Digital Infoways as One of the Most Successful Digital Marketing Brands of 2022

Cadbury took the idea of inclusive IPL marketing as a part of its branding strategy. They labeled themselves as “Proud Sponsors of the Ground Staff” and their offbeat ad campaign focused on the significance of the ground personnel in cricket matches. They provided uniforms, accommodation, and daily commutes to the ground staff.

In their “Dream Big” IPL ad campaign, the brand Dream11 has been featuring inspirational stories of Indian cricketers like Rohit Sharma, JaspritBumrah, Rishabh Pant, and others. Their aim is to create an emotional impact on their audience.

Final Thoughts

The IPL seasons will continue to expand in the coming years and provide sponsors and advertisers with endless marketing options. The only way that the brands will succeed in such a competitive and overcrowded ecosystem is by delivering unique, out-of-the-box, original, and groundbreaking ideas. The ideas must be able to resonate with their target audience. Man brands have already proven that.