ITV

Tag: IPL 2025 ads

  • Shah Rukh rules screens, but celeb ads lose steam in IPL 18

    Shah Rukh rules screens, but celeb ads lose steam in IPL 18

    MUMBAI: Hindi cinema’s beloved Badshah may have remained the king of cricket screens, but the age of celebrity ads during the IPL has started to cool. According to a TAM Sports report analysing all live matches of IPL 18, the share of celebrity-endorsed commercials dipped by 13 per cent from last season, marking a strategic shift among brands embracing broader creative bets.

    This year, celebrity-endorsed ads comprised 53 per cent of total ad volumes during live matches, down from 59 per cent in IPL 17. Non-celebrity-backed commercials, often grounded in concept-led or product-first storytelling, took the remaining 47 per cent slice — a six-point jump year-on-year.

    Film actors led the celebrity endorsement race, accounting for 50 per cent of ad volumes, while sports personalities made up 32 per cent. In contrast, film actresses featured in just 18 per cent of celebrity-led ads, and TV actors barely registered at 0.16 per cent.

    Despite the overall dip, Shah Rukh Khan continued to reign, claiming eight per cent of all celebrity ad volume share in IPL 18 — a solid, if slightly faded, follow-up to his 13 per cent haul from IPL 17. He was trailed by Ananya Panday (seven per cent), Laksh Lalwani (six per cent), and sporting stalwarts like M.S. Dhoni (five per cent) and Ajay Devgn (five per cent).

    Among sports celebrities, M.S. Dhoni once again led the charge with a 17.3 per cent share, followed by Rohit Sharma (13.6 per cent), Suryakumar Yadav (9.5 per cent), Yashasvi Jaiswal (6.4 per cent), and Mohammed Siraj (6.4 per cent). Notably, IPL 18 saw fewer overall and sports celebrities endorsing brands — dropping from 75+ and 35+ in IPL 17 to 60+ and 15+ respectively.

    The food and beverage (F&B) segment proved irresistible for celebrity endorsements. Two of the top five ad categories belonged to F&B: pan masala and biscuits. The other three categories that dominated celebrity tie-ins were e-commerce gaming, financial institutions, and paints. Collectively, these top five segments accounted for 67 per cent of all celeb-endorsed ad volumes.

    Among advertisers, Sporta Technologies, Parle Biscuits, Vishnu Packaging, Playgames24x7, and RSH Global took the lion’s share, collectively clocking 53 per cent of all celebrity-backed ad space.

    As brands rethink ROI in a cluttered media landscape, the 2025 IPL season shows a noticeable shift toward diversified and cost-conscious strategies — with star power still potent but not quite the only currency.

  • Kshema swings for six with Punjab Kings in quirky insurance ad blitz

    Kshema swings for six with Punjab Kings in quirky insurance ad blitz

    MUMBAI: Cricket meets crop cover in Kshema General Insurance’s latest innings—and it’s anything but a straight bat. In a punchy new campaign titled Shreyas Ki Yojana, the insurer teams up with IPL side Punjab Kings to bowl over Indian audiences with insurance awareness, laced with locker-room banter and rural relevance.

    Unveiled ahead of the 2025 IPL season, the ad stars captain Shreyas Iyer, pace ace Arshdeep Singh and the flamboyant Shashank Singh. The three trade sledges over Shreyas’ dream of becoming a farmer, only to land on a surprisingly sound game plan: crop insurance. The film delivers its message with the finesse of a cover drive and the timing of a match-winning six.

    The ad opens in the PBKS locker room, where Iyer flips through an agriculture magazine and casually declares his post-retirement plans. Cue a cheeky back-and-forth with Arshdeep and Shashank, poking fun at the unpredictability of farming—until Iyer whips out his phone and drops the mic (and the app): Kshema General Insurance.

    “Sirf Beeman Nahi, Kshema”, he declares, in what’s already being called the campaign’s new catchphrase. A split-screen follows, showing the cricketers on one side and Kshema’s offerings on the other: expansive crop coverage, affordable premiums, smooth claims, and service that doesn’t ghost you mid-season.

    “We believe awareness and preparation are the keys to protection, irrespective of the field. Cricket, with its following in India, is one the most effective vehicles to take this message across the country which is why we chose to leverage our partner Punjab Kings’ strong connection with its roots to aid our outreach. I hope the star-power of Shreyas, Arshdeep, and Shashank will act as a catalyst in increasing awareness about insurance and its effectiveness in mitigating economic hardships,” said Kshema General Insurance Limited CMO Bhaskar Thakur.

    The campaign, conceptualised by Dentsu Creative Webchutney and produced by Shaded Feathers, is helmed by director Dhruv Grover and will run throughout the IPL season on digital platforms and traditional media. It’s part of a broader blitz aimed at making insurance less about jargon and more about impact.

    To sweeten the deal, Kshema also rolled out its ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ contest. Fans who guess the PBKS player crowned ‘Secure Hands of the Match’ stand a chance to win match tickets and exclusive merch. Insurance has never looked this fun—or this interactive.