iWorld
Baidu joins Hotstar to offer free live-streaming of IPL
NEW DELHI: Baidu India has teamed up with video platform Hotstar to offer free live-streaming cricket matches via its app store MoboMarket for the ongoing Indian Premier League. Along with the free broadcasts, MoboMarket will also kick off its first ‘Cricket Guessing Game’ for fans to predict scores and win prizes.
According to the Baidu India team, the Cricket Guessing Game is “the ultimate playground for cricket enthusiasts to get together and have fun with their friends and family”. Available in-app on MoboMarket, the online game allows players to win points based on their guesses of IPL match outcomes. Players will earn 1,000 complementary points the first time they start the game on MoboMarket, and will then be able to use those points to support their team or guess the result of matches. In addition, players can earn more points by creating a group and inviting their friends to join.
The Cricket Guessing Game will be divided into four phases. At the end of each phase, qualified users will have a chance to win prizes, including mobile phones and mobile recharge credits.
At the end of the fourth phase, all players who successfully created a group will get rewards based on the number of friends they invited and will win a guaranteed prize of up to Rs. 2,500 mobile recharge credits.
“IPL is such a big thing in India; we can definitely see a growing trend of cricket-related apps on MoboMarket during the ICC and IPL season,” said Baid India general manager Tim Yang. “That’s why we decided to launch this game, to give all the diehard fans out there a little bit more fun.”
MoboMarket is Baidu’s international Android marketplace for audiences outside of China. With a library of over 660,000 Android apps, it is a one-stop shop for apps, games and more. MoboMarket now supports 5 Indian languages including Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Tamil and Bengali. To learn more, visit www.mobomarket.net.
To play the Cricket Guessing Game for a chance to win big, visit: http://bit.ly/1TmnUAF
iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
