Have You Watched These Best of Cricket World Cup Ads?
Cricket & Cinema are the two bonding pillars that bind Indians and eliminate all barriers of discrimination. Well, cinema can be subjective and often falls under the radar of scrutiny from the audience. But cricket is the epitome of unity. The ICC Cricket World Cup is no less than a festival in India. Celebrations in the country don’t stop for the entire duration of the sporting event. Do you know what else the cricket world cup is known for? The perfect playground for advertisers to come up with extravagant campaigns!
In the past years, the ICC Cricket World Cup has given us great ad campaigns from brands. Some make lasting impressions for years. Let’s take a walk down memory lane & look at some of the top cricket world cup ads from yesteryears that have won many hearts.
Pepsi – Change the Game!
The 2011 world cup was a unique tournament for various reasons. The T-20 format had already been introduced a few years ago. That made the game a bit more aggressive and players from different countries were trying out different styles of unconventional shots. When it came to Pepsi to create a memorable campaign for the tournament, the brand did a commendable job combining research with creativity. They came up with the “Change the Game” campaign that showcased how “Youngistaan” (Pepsi’s then mainline communication) have influenced these popular shots.
They got big players like M.S. Dhoni, Virendra Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga & even umpire Billy Bowden who all had some unorthodox styles at that time and gave it a nice mix of Indian tadka. Pepsi had specifically hired Taproot India for the World Cup and they did produce something memorable. The brand also launched the “Change the Game 11” contest where they selected 11 fans that had the most innovative shots and got them the passes to attend all of India’s matches & made them the brand ambassadors of Pepsi’s social media handles.
Hero Honda – Dhak Dhak Go India Go!
When the cricket world cup fever is on, nationalism is at an all-time high. As we mentioned before, cricket is the epitome of representing India as a truly diverse country. In 2011, it was all the more special as the tournament was being held in our backyard. Hero Honda, the one brand company then, utilised this phenomenon perhaps the best way. The brand’s “Dhak Dhak Go India Go” ad was an instant hit. The countrymen were looking for an anthem they could get on to and Hero Honda delivered big.
The ad might not have scored very high on the innovative scale, but it captured the passion and zeal of more than 100 crore fans perfectly. The diversity that India represents was portrayed beautifully. In an ad of just 1 minute & 10 seconds, Hero Honda somehow managed to showcase all the states, religions, communities, sects, age groups, genders, generations & people that truly make India. The best part of the ad is that they didn’t have to hire any celebrities to pull it off.
Star Sports – Mauka Mauka!
The biggest spectacle in the world cup is the highly anticipated match between India & Pakistan. The cricketing rivalry between the two nations is unparalleled and seeing the countries competing with each other at the highest stage is something on another level. There is a particular stat that we Indians were very proud of. India was undefeated by Pakistan in the world cup tournament until 2021(T20 format). Star Sports, the official Indian broadcaster of the 2015 world cup had the funniest & most savage ad campaign addressing it!
The ads showed the story of an ardent Pakistani fan who’s still waiting to burst his fireworks on Pakistan’s victory over India since 1992! Every world cup he is ready to burst the old crackers. From teenage to adulthood to marriage to parenthood, we see different stages of his life still waiting. Star Sports did a tremendous job with the #MaukaMauka, which was the rage on social media and made the campaign a huge success.
Fevikwik – Todo Nahi Jodo!
Often between the rivalry and competitions, we sometimes forget the brotherhood that exists between the two countries. In the 2015 world cup, Pidilite’s Fevikwik brand made a brilliant ad to keep the camaraderie alive with witty theatrics. They took the setting of the grand Wagah Border where every evening, we see a beating retreat ceremony. The two performers, each from India & Pakistan are at it when the Pakistani man’s shoe comes apart. With swift action, the Indian uses Fevikwik to fix his shoes and the show goes on.
The brilliant thing about the ad was that Fevikiwik managed to effortlessly include its product in an ad that was conveying a social message. Things between the two nations were getting a bit hostile due to the tournament. But the refreshing ad made it clear about our love-hate relationship with the neighbours and won many hearts.
These were some of the iconic ads by Indian brands during the world cup that made us laugh, groove, feel proud and cheer for India at full swing. If you have any ads that will fit well on this list, please let us know in the comments below! We’ll be more than happy to hear from you. Follow Sanket Communications’ Blog page to read more interesting blogs about the advertising & marketing world.
About Author
Sandeep Hati is a copywriter at Sanket Communications. He is passionate about advertising trends and stories. He aims to explain the many intricacies that run the advertising and marketing world. When he’s not working, you’ll find him buried in a book or watching period cinema or failing gloriously on the same level of video game infinitely.
