Ad Campaigns
Star India launches MI Vs CSK IPL opening game campaign
MUMBAI: With just two days for the gripping cricketing action-entertainment of the much anticipated VIVO IPL 2018 to begin, Star India has unveiled yet another feisty campaign; this time, it’s the ‘Best vs Best’.
The narrative stokes passion of the fans around the high-octane action promised highly awaited opening clash between current champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), returning after two editions.
This match and all the matches will be aired on the Star Sports bouquet (Star Sports 1 English, Star Sports 1 HD English, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 HD Hindi, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Select SD English, Star Sports 1 Select HD English), Suvarna Plus, Star Maa Movies, Jalsha Movies and live streamed on Hotstar in India, US and Canada.
The narrative of the latest campaign created by the Star Sports creative team rekindles the greatest rivalry of IPL between the two teams, who amongst them have won five IPL trophies out of the total ten leagues organised so far. The campaign drives a gritty face-off between MI and CSK in an opening encounter that promises great action with some of the best players in the VIVO IPL 2018.
What is already fuelling fan frenzy is that VIVO IPL 2018 is set to witness CSK’s return under the iconic MS Dhoni’s leadership, after a two-year absence. The fact that these fierce rivals, who have clashed in three of eight past finals, will square up for the opening game of the VIVO IPL 2018, will give a dream start to the single largest event. The film, driven by a catchy, clever script, gives strident voice to the fanatic support of fans of CSK and MI, with each side throwing the gauntlet at the other, confident that their team will crush their rivals in the opening match.
Star India president of consumer strategy and innovation Gayatri Yadav says, “With the combined power of digital and television and a first-ever six-language presentation including, Star Sports Tamil for CSK fans who have waited patiently for two long years for their heroes’ comeback, we are confident our presentation of the Vivo-IPL 2018 will deliver never-before fan experience.”
BCCI CEO Rahul Johri adds, “The IPL is the biggest and widely followed cricketing properties in the world. Over the years, each of the franchisees has developed a strong and loyal fan following, globally. The opening game between MI and CSK will serve as the perfect start to the action-packed season. The latter will be returning after two years amidst much hype and celebration and led by none other than MS Dhoni while the former is a three-time champion and one of the most consistent T20 teams.”
Star India will broadcast live matches of the league in six languages – Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Kannada on its broadcast network. The VIVO IPL will also be beamed live in these six languages on Hotstar.
NATIONAL: Amazon Ads has laid out a sharply tech-led vision for the advertising industry in 2026, arguing that artificial intelligence, streaming TV and creator partnerships will combine to turn brand building into a more precise, performance-driven business.
At the heart of the shift, the company says, is the fusion of AI with Amazon’s vast trove of shopping, browsing and streaming signals, allowing advertisers to move beyond blunt reach metrics to campaigns designed around real customer behaviour.
“The future of advertising is not about reaching more people, but the right people with messages that resonate,” said Amazon Ads India head and vice president Girish Prabhu. “By combining AI with deep customer insights, we help brands move from broadcasting campaigns to having meaningful conversations wherever audiences spend their time.”
One of the biggest changes, according to Amazon Ads, will be the collapse of the wall between media planning and creative development. Retail media, powered by first-party data, is increasingly shaping everything from brand discovery to final purchase, pushing marketers to design campaigns around audience insight rather than internal instinct.
AI is also moving from a support tool to a creative engine. Agentic AI, which automates and accelerates production, is expected to make high-quality creative accessible even to small businesses, compressing weeks of work into hours and giving challengers the ability to compete with larger brands on speed and scale.
Behind the scenes, AI-driven analytics will take on a bigger role in campaign optimisation, identifying patterns, spotting opportunities and recommending actions that would previously have required teams of analysts.
Streaming TV is another big battleground. With India’s video streaming audience now above 600 million and connected TV users at 129.2 million in 2025, advertisers are set to treat streaming not just as a branding channel but as a performance engine, measured increasingly by sales, sign-ups and bookings rather than just reach.
Finally, Amazon Ads sees creators and contextual advertising reshaping how brands tell stories. Creators will act less like influencers and more like long-term partners, while scene-aware ads on streaming platforms will allow brands to insert hyper-relevant offers into the flow of what viewers are watching.
Taken together, Amazon Ads argues, these shifts mark a move towards advertising that is both more human and more measurable, where AI handles the complexity, and creativity does the persuading.
