Every year, millions of spectators go to see the Indian Premier League (IPL). IPL is a spectacle of drama, entertainment, and cultural events. It is beyond just a cricket match. It is a celebration of fervour, solidarity, and lifelong memories. In addition to revolutionising Indian cricket, the IPL has changed the advertising industry throughout the years. This is by providing brands with a huge platform on which to produce memorable ads. Many of these now rank among the Top 20 IPL ads ever made.
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Star-studded campaigns, moving themes, oddball humour, and nostalgia-driven narratives. IPL advertisements have evolved into an art form. Brands are aware that IPL advertisements aim to make an impression and generate viral content. These remain relevant long after the competition is over, not only to sell a product.
Why IPL Ads Resonate: Viewership, Celebrity & Virality
- Huge Viewership – Millions of people watch each season. The Indian Premier League offers sponsors one of the most lucrative marketing opportunities.
- Celebrity Power – IPL advertisements showcasing cricket players, Bollywood celebrities, and other well-known figures are quite captivating.
- Social Media Impact & Virality – A lot of IPL advertisements create memorable memes. These create discussions, and trends.
- Cultural Influence – Even when the IPL season is over, certain advertisements are so skillfully done. These start to pop up in casual discussions.
Key Elements of a Great IPL Ad: Story, Emotion & Surprise
IPL commercials are not always successful. The following are the campaigns that have had the biggest success:
- Tell an engrossing story – The most successful ads tell a compelling story. Whether it be one of humour, nostalgia, or a poignant event.
- Feature unforeseen element – Excellent IPL advertisements frequently take viewers by surprise. Rahul Dravid’s transformation into “Indiranagar ka Gunda” for CRED is an example.
- Resonate with the audience – These advertisements capture people’s attention. This is by using memorable taglines, cultural allusions, or relevant experiences.
- Possess viral potential — The best-known IPL advertisements generate conversations, memes, and social media trends. These stretch well beyond television screens.
We’re going back in time to explore the top 20 IPL advertisements that had a significant influence on this blog. We’ll dissect every advertisement, from CRED’s oddball celebrity makeovers to Vodafone’s ZooZoos. The blog describes why it was unique and how it spread throughout society.
How We Selected the Top 20 IPL Ads
The IPL advertisements on this list include:
- Left audiences with a lasting impression.
- Generated a cultural event or went viral on social media
- Possessed a creative idea, compelling narrative, or amusing execution
- Successfully bonded with the IPL’s spirit
Let’s now see the most iconic IPL advertisements that have delighted us throughout the years.
1. Star Sports x IPL 2025 Ad
Check Out – Top 10 Dream11 IPL Ads That Hit It Out of the Park
2. Pepsi IPL: Oh, Yes, Abhi! | ft. Priyanka Chopra
3. Unacademy: Cracking the Game
4. Vodafone ZooZoo IPL Advert
5. Kingfisher: ‘Oo La La La Le O’ | Uniting People Through the Joy of Good Times
Must See – Best Vodafone IPL Ads Featuring ZooZoos
6. IPL 2018: The Unforeseen Interruption of the Premier League | Explore the Experience on BookMyShow
7. Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan: A Celebration of 8 IPL Teams and Their Vibrant, Individual Tashans
8. Great for the Good | ft. Neeraj Chopra | CRED
9. Zomato vs. Its Biggest Competitor | Zomaito vs. Zomaato
Recommended For You – Top 5 CRED IPL Ads
10. VIVO IPL 2021: Asli Picture Abhi Baaki Hai
11. Swiggy IPL Ad: This Cricket Season, Order on Swiggy from Your Favourite Restaurants
12. Cricket Fans: Mr. & Mrs. Superstitious | Ola IPL Ad
13. Paytm IPL 2021 Ad – The Mechanic
14. Goibibo IPL Ad – Don’t Be Stupid Stupid Stupid!
15. CSK – This Is How We Roar | Chennai Super Kings x Myntra
16. #AurDikhao – The Latest Amazon.in Ad (2015)
Check Out – The Best Parle IPL Ads
17. Boost – #PlayABiggerGame 4.0
18. Gulf Oil Surprises CSK Players
19. No Lay’s, No Game | M.S. Dhoni x Lay’s Surprise Visit (2023)
20. Animal for a Reason | Dhoni x EMotorad x Vanga 🚨
How IPL Advertising Has Changed Over the Years
In addition to revolutionising cricket, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has changed how companies interact with consumers. What started out as a conventional sponsorship and endorsement model has since changed into viral marketing efforts that are engaging and cinematic. IPL advertising has changed over time in a number of ways, responding to evolving consumer preferences, new platforms, and innovative narrative strategies.
1. From Traditional Endorsements to Storytelling
During the early IPL years, cricket players would only appear on screen, hold a product, and utter a pre-written slogan as part of simple celebrity endorsements. These advertisements only used celebrity endorsements, but as time went on, corporations understood that consumers desired more than simply a well-known face.
Since IPL advertisements have developed into captivating mini-stories that are brimming with drama, humour, and emotion, viewers now find them to be much more relatable and engaging. Campaigns include “Stupid, Stupid, Stupid” by Goibibo, which starred Rishabh Pant and Sunil Gavaskar, “Indiranagar Ka Gunda” by CRED, which highlighted Rahul Dravid, and “No Lay’s, No Game” with MS Dhoni illustrate how companies increasingly value narrative more than traditional celebrity sponsorships.
Advertisements have become as anticipated as IPL matches themselves thanks to sponsors’ successful use of comedy, story twists, and real-life fan experiences.
2. From TV Commercials to Social Media Virality
IPL commercials used to mostly target the millions of people who watched the games live on television. However, social media and digital platforms have grown in popularity. Brands are now making advertisements that are meant to become viral. This is on opposition to being shown during commercial breaks.
Brands can now maximise engagement. This is through influencer partnerships, fan interactions, short video edits, and memes. This is thanks to platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok (before it was banned in India).
The ad used cricket players like MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma. Dream11’s “Sab Khelenge” campaign, was designed to be easily dissected into GIFS. It made for great brief videos, and meme-worthy moments that quickly went viral on social media. The “ZoMaito vs. ZoMaato” ad from Zomato also generated an internet discussion. This turns it into more than just an advertisement and a cultural discussion.
With this shift, IPL advertisements are now made to go beyond television screens. This guarantees that they will continue discussions long after they air.
3. From Selling a Product to Selling an Experience
Product characteristics, deals, and discounts were the main focus of previous IPL advertisements. Directly increasing sales through promotions was of more importance to brands. However, advertisements for the IPL that offer an experience rather than just a commodity are currently the most successful.
For example, Myntra’s “This Is How We Roar” CSK campaign promoted IPL-themed clothing. This was a means for supporters to show off their enthusiasm and devotion. This is in addition to increasing fashion sales. In a similar vein, Swiggy’s “Aap Kiske Saath Dekhoge?” marketing focused more on providing the ideal match-day lunch. This was to enhance the IPL viewing experience than it did on selling food.
Brands have made sure they become more than just another advertisement. This is by moving away from a sales-first strategy and toward a lifestyle-driven story. This becomes an integral part of the IPL fan experience.
4. From Standalone Ads to Integrated Campaigns
Multi-platform, multi-touchpoint campaigns have replaced one-off ads as the primary form of IPL advertising. Advertisers today create interactive campaigns that span TV, web, social media, and even offline activations rather than only running a single ad.
Jio’s “Dhan Dhana Dhan” campaign is a fantastic illustration of this. In addition to an advertisement, it included:
- Exclusive Jio Cricket Deals for IPL Streaming.
- With unique features and promotions, MyJio app users may access and enjoy exclusive digital material. This improvs their whole app experience.
- Promotional offers and contests where cricket enthusiasts could meet players and win tickets to games.
In the same vein, Paytm’s IPL marketing included in-app capabilities that let users purchase IPL tickets, make predictions, and receive cashback offers in addition to emphasising quick payments.
By moving toward multi-platform storytelling, businesses can stay in fans’ thoughts throughout the IPL season rather than just interacting with them during games.
5. From Generic Ads to Personalised & Regional Campaigns
Another notable change in IPL advertising is the localisation of campaigns. Brands are not making a single ad for everyone to watch. Many ad variations that are appropriate for numerous teams, dialects, and regions are currently being produced by brands.
Brands should ensure fans from Punjab to Tamil Nadu feel linked to their campaign. Companies such as Vivo, Tata, and Dream11 have created IPL advertisements in different languages. Gulf Oil launched a surprise campaign with a Chennai Super Kings theme. This was specially crafted for the passionate supporters of CSK. It offered them a unique and memorable experience. Some sponsors even tailor their advertisements to the IPL teams.
Brands can now target ads based on user activity, location, and even previous purchases. This is thanks to AI-driven data analytics, making IPL advertising more individualised than ever.
The Future of IPL Advertising: What’s Next?
Brands keep pushing the creative envelope with every IPL season to make sure their ads stand out in the crowded advertising market. The following significant trends could influence IPL advertising going forward:
- AI-Generated Personalised Ads: Ads need to ensure more individualised interaction. Brands may soon utilise AI to produce IPL advertisements that are tailored to certain user segments.
- Metaverse & Virtual IPL Experiences – Technology advances in virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse. Brands may create immersive digital IPL experiences, like interactive brand activations within virtual stadiums.
- Meme-First Advertising – Brands may purposefully produce advertisements that are meme-worthy from the outset. This is opposed to waiting for fans to transform them into a meme.
- Campaigns Generated by Users – Fans will be encouraged to produce content by more businesses. It transforms them from passive watchers into participants in the advertising story.
- Brand Interactions via Augmented Reality (AR) – During the IPL, picture scanning a Lay’s packet and seeing a holographic MS Dhoni show up on your phone with a unique challenge or message.
IPL advertising is expected to become even more dynamic, captivating, and fan-driven. This is a result of social media, digital innovation, and changing viewer expectations.
Conclusion for Top 20 IPL Ads
This brings the list of the Top 20 IPL Ads That Enthralled Audiences Over the Years to a close. These advertisements demonstrate how IPL advertising has changed throughout time. It has progressed from simple endorsements to innovative, amusing, and viral efforts.
All of these advertisements have made a lasting impression. These demonstrate that successful IPL commercials do more than simply promote a product. They also capture a moment, a memory, and occasionally even a cultural phenomenon.
