Brands — especially start-ups — have caught the cricket fever, flinging themselves into the Tata IPL party. Over 60 start-ups have padded up, but wily old campaigner Cadbury has stolen the show with a different pitch.

Cheerleading ground staff

This season, chocolate brand Cadbury Dairy Milk has become the official sponsor for the ground staff of the Mumbai Cricket Association, celebrating and supporting the unnoticed heroes of the league. As a part of this initiative, the brand is providing the ground staff with facilities that are on par with what the cricketers enjoy — best in class stay and food, and designer jerseys created by Masaba Gupta. Its heartwarming IPL film features the unacknowledged superstars of the game. Sweet move, Cadbury!

Doorstep healthcare

Consumer healthcare start-up PharmEasy has roped in Aamir Khan for its brand-building film aired during the IPL. The #GharBaitheBaitheTakeItEasy campaign introduces him in a set of quirky TVCs, popping up like a genie to tell people how easy it is to get medicines, health devices et al right at home with the app.

Sparking nostalgia

After spoofing celebrity endorsements, this IPL, CRED is back with another memorable campaign — this time spoofing old ads. Featuring actress Karishma Kapoor, the new CRED ad playfully spoofs an old Nirma ad, copying its look and feel to talk about the bounty proposition of the brand. While the ad is quirky and will have high recall, does it deliver the brand message? That does seem to be getting lost.

Lit with humour

When it comes to delivering the message, Jaquar’s hilarious ad gets it absolutely right — weaving in its better known bathroom fitting range into the wacky script to push its lighting range.

Air walk

Sportswear giant Nike’s jaw dropping outdoor campaign at Shinjuku station in Tokyo, Japan, takes the use of billboards to new levels. In the 3D campaign, it appears as though a Nike shoe box bursts open from the building wall to reveal Air Max models. 

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