MUMBAI: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has taken aim at one of India’s cheekiest advertising tricks, the surrogate ad, and flipped it into a cultural spectacle. Teaming up with creative agency Talented, the brand has launched BGMI Drops, a tongue-in-cheek campaign that turns parody into performance art for the meme generation.
Instead of hiding behind substitutes, BGMI proudly parodies them. The campaign transforms the game’s most iconic elements into fictional FMCG products, BGMI energy drink, BGMI helmet, and BGMI only pans, each with its own delightfully over-the-top commercial.
Directed by Akimbo (Mandakini Menon & Bopanna MG) and produced by Potli Baba Mediahouse, the three short films blend nostalgia, satire, and absurdist humour, paying tribute to India’s golden era of ad jingles and glossy TV spots. The first film alone clocked 4 million organic views in just 24 hours.
The fun doesn’t stop there. Fans can head to trybgmi.com, a parody storefront where they can “shop” for the spoof products, discover hidden easter eggs, and unlock digital experiences, all part of the campaign’s interactive storytelling.
“BGMI has always set the tone for pop culture in India,” said Krafton India associate director – marketing and product Srinjoy Das. “With BGMI Drops, we wanted to speak in the native tongue of our players, referential, meme-driven, and self-aware.”
According to Talented’s Ritika Shriram and Aaliya Sheikh, “Surrogate ads were about hiding intent. We turned that inside out. These films wear their disguise proudly and invite viewers to join the inside joke.”
By remixing nostalgia with internet irony, BGMI Drops turns everyday scrolls into satire. In true 2025 style, it’s not just an ad campaign, it’s a wink, a nudge, and a meme waiting to happen.
