MAM
Star Sports IPL promo tugs on fans’ emotional heartstrings
Mumbai: The excitement has been building up amongst sports fans with the clock counting down to 19 September when the first ball of the Dream11 IPL 2020 will be bowled at the Dubai International Sports Stadium in the UAE. On the field will be fierce rivals – the men in blue (Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians) and the men in yellow (Mahendra Singh ‘Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings). Millions will be watching it on the big screen on the Disney Star India channels in seven languages or on Hotstar on their handsets.
To further whip up the emotional frenzy and inform fans that the IPL is back in its full glory to entertain them, Star Sports has launched a promo – ‘Ek Saath Waali Baat. The promo encapsulates the mood of the nation, which continues to be puzzled and troubled by the ravages the Covid2019 pandemic is leaving in its wake, but it spotlight on the stories of hope and instances of people helping each other, neighbors sharing prospective job opportunities with those who have been laid off and a community welcoming a doctor with flowers as he returns from work. Additionally, it features a chef Youtube influencer who cooks and feeds those who are less privileged.
“The new campaign captures this feeling of togetherness while driving the message of hope and support, which has been critical in these trying times,” explained the Star Sports releae.
“As a country, we have always come together during testing times and we have seen the same over the last few months. There has been a greater sense of community and empathy that has demonstrated the resilience of the human spirit. The Ek Saath Waali Baa’ campaign has been created with this same ethos. Dream11 IPL is the most-watched sporting event in the country and this year, it is even more special. The campaign builds on the sense of community and signals towards the much-needed emotion of hope,” added Star Sports CEO Gautam Thakar in the release.
Keeping in mind the nationwide fandom for the tournament, the TVC will be released in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi. Dream11 IPL has always evoked intense emotions amongst its vociferous fans and this time too, Star Sports promises to bring back the same thrill.
The TVC also highlights the fact that the second matche of each day is being played half an hour earlier at 7:30 pm, unlike last year when they began at 8 pm, which means audiences will stay glued to each clash till it ends.
Every year the sports broadcaster launches a high-decibel campaign to promote the tournament.
In 2019, Star Sports and BCCI launched an interesting campaign GameBanayegaName. The film was conceptualized by Taproot Dentsu. It opened with a split-screen battle between young players in a maidan on one side and established VIVO IPL stars on the other, vying to grab screen space.
In the same year, team India captain Virat Kohli took it upon himself to bring happiness to the children of the nation. In collaboration with Star Sports, he launched the ‘Let Kids Play’ campaign which urged parents to allow kids to go out and play. The campaign focused on how outdoor activities build character, personality and leadership qualities in kids.
The 2018 TVC for the IPL asked “Kaun Jitega?” or “Who Will Win?” It was released in six languages, depicting the IPL as a Battle of Tigers – Sher vs Sher. The campaign portrayed a young child posing the question to all around him – as to who would win when two tigers take on each other? As his question goes unanswered by everyone, his father takes him to watch an IPL match, concluding that, when one the feline animal takes on another, the tiger is always the winner. The multi-lingual campaign actually helped promote the Star Sports efforts to invite viewers to watch the game in their native language and not just in Hindi or English.
It was conceived and conceptualized by the Star Sports creative team and directed by Shlok Sharma in Bundelkhand and Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films in Hindi, along with Vijay Prabakaran in Tamil.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
