More Noise, Less Nudge: IPL ads fail to stand out

Mint

4 days ago

Mumbai: Despite record-breaking viewership and soaring ad spends, most ads aired during IPL 2025 may have already faded from public memory. While the on-field cricket remains fiercely competitive, advertising creativity appears to be on autopilot, raising serious questions about return on investment and long-term brand impact.
This year, the IPL began with what many consider one of the best—and probably the costliest—ads of the season. Dream11's campaign featured Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and a galaxy of celebrities and cricket stars, setting the tone for the tournament and its rivalries. It was witty, memorable and widely shared. But after that strong start, most ads barely made a mark. Take the much-discussed spot featuring Rohit Sharma talking about financial planning, or MS Dhoni promoting a tile adhesive. Both had star power and brand fit, yet the creative left viewers more puzzled than persuaded.
Data from TAM Media Research reveals that more than 105 advertisers and 190 brands participated across the first 70 matches of IPL 2025, with a 27% jump in advertiser count and a 28% rise in brand count over last year. The overall ad volume on TV grew marginally, just 0.45% higher than IPL 2024. But the creative bar hasn't risen alongside.
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'While a few brave brands are pushing creative boundaries, most of the advertising seems to be working in a safe, high-frequency mode," said Anshu Yardi, vice-president–business partnerships & communication at TAM Media Research. 'The opportunity is still massive, but innovation requires risk, and during IPL many brands may want to play safe."
Ad fatigue at a time of infinite content
The issue might extend beyond just ineffective ads; it could reflect a deeper cultural shift in how we define 'good" advertising itself.
Abhishek Jain, business director at creative agency Virtue India, believes the competition for consumer attention has moved far beyond traditional formats. 'Ads 'seem' boring now compared to the content—quick, snackable pieces of sponsored entertainment —they are competing with," he said. 'We are now finding relatability in culture and culture in content. Traditional ads just don't have that same shareability or zing."
The IPL skew: Not made for storytelling
Sandeep Goyal, media veteran and chairman of Rediffusion, is blunt in his assessment. 'The mediocrity of IPL actually reflects the slipping standards of creativity overall. But specific to the IPL, for years now, the secondages have been dominated by the money power of VC-funded brands. Regular brands in FMCG just can't afford the IPL rates. So that skew is the starting point," he said.
In the context of advertising, 'secondages" refers to the total number of seconds of advertising airtime.
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'The brands that spend—like a lot in BFSI—are really not seasoned campaigners. They are out to buy noticeability and brand recall, not build emotive narratives that endear them to consumers. Most ads are focused on product superiority, much like 'explainer' videos."
He also takes aim at the overuse of celebrities. 'The less said about celebrities, the better. It is now a formula. Nothing more. No attempt to differentiate. No attempt to craft a story that engages. Most celebrities are high on recognition but low on emulatability. A Rohit Sharma dispensing advice on investing! MSD (Dhoni) talking of paints. Consumers just shrug off most such ads. They may remember the brand and even the celebrity, but do not necessarily buy as per the celebrity's endorsement because the pitch carries no real conviction."
Creativity costs, and time is a luxury
A chief marketing officer (CMO) of a major consumer brand, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that IPL advertising may never become a true creative showcase like the Super Bowl. 'You don't get everything—budgets are tight, and IPL runs every day for nearly two months. Dream11, Swiggy, ZooZoos from Vodafone—they've created brilliant ads in the past. But those are rare exceptions," the executive said.
'Most CMOs simply don't get the time or investment needed to make IPL campaigns creatively rich. The result is rinse-repeat formats, celebrity plug-ins, and safe messaging."
Marquee moment or media burst?
Another senior executive from a brand that advertised during IPL 2025 wondered whether advertisers truly understand what a marquee property should be. 'If you're treating IPL as a launch pad, that's fine. But how much can you really build when you're racing against time and media costs just to deliver a message?"
According to them, IPL's biggest strength—aggregation of eyeballs—is also its biggest creative limitation. 'If 60-65 crore people are watching, that's huge. But then you're up against frequency fatigue, creative limits and the ticking clock. It's hard to craft something with depth when you're just trying to be everywhere, fast."
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The executive added, 'Are people even anticipating IPL ads the way they used to? Are we just spending for attention, or are we creating anything truly memorable? The search for the elusive advertising season continues… is IPL the Nirvana?"
So, can the IPL ever be India's Super Bowl?
Everyone wants to recreate the cultural buzz and longevity that Super Bowl ads in the US command. But experts agree that for IPL to reach that level, Indian advertisers need to move beyond formula, spend more time on narrative and treat the IPL window not just as a media buy, but as a storytelling opportunity.
'Campaigns are not being created for the long run," Goyal added. 'They are usually for one season, and then everybody feels the need for a refresh because digital has created attention-deficiency syndrome."
Until that mindset changes, IPL may remain a grand stage—but one where few ads deserve an encore.