Fantasy Sports is on the rise, and brands in the domain are coming up with some truly memorable marketing strategies. For a fantasy gaming platform, IPL is perhaps the most pivotal part of the calendar, with the tournament offering the perfect audience fit.
Here’s how Fantasy Akhada executed the ‘Khel Tumhara Akhada Hamara’ campaign, that aired during the IPL. Let’s dive in!
The Kidnapping
Remember when Harsha Bhogle got “kidnapped” on a LIVE streaming and sent the entire internet into frenzy? It caught everyone’s attention, and got everyone asking – whaaaat just happened?
The brand partnered with various influencers and creators who chimed in with their own take on the events, with everyone expressing concern about what just went down.
Soon after, Fantasy Akhada revealed that they had all the deets, and they would be answering everyone’s questions soon. And the curtains on #HarshaKaKhel was lifted.
The Reveal
One day before the first IPL match of the season, Fantasy Akhada dropped the first film of the #KhelTumharaAkhadaHumara campaign, and it became all the rage.
So what went down?
Turns out, Ali Fazal (remember him from Mirzapur?), kidnapped Harsha Bhogle in an attempt to up his game at fantasy sports.
The reveal was met with praise and applause, with people particularly loving the creative execution of the ad film. The video received 1.2 million+ views on YouTube and 10 million+ views on Facebook. The timing of the launch was apt, with the commercial catching every cricket enthusiasts’ attention, since it aired right before the IPL.
And then came the second film
In ‘Khel Shuru’, Harsha Bhogle talks about Fantasy Akhada’s 24*7 hotline to convince Manu Bhaiyya to let him go. The plotline coupled with the catchy tune racked up 300k+ views on YouTube and 3.9 million+ views on Facebook.
A new ad film, a new feature
With the launch of ‘Bidesh ka kel,’ Harsha’s avatar changes. The ad showcased an exhausted Harsha Bhogle and an enthusiastic Manu Bhaiyya who desires to travel internationally under Harsha’s guidance with Fantasy Akhada.
The third and final film was viewed 725,000+ times on YouTube, and boy did everyone love Harsha’s acting ability in this one.
The music
Music can create magic, and Fantasy Akhada’s music did exactly that. It was loved by all, and made its way into various playlists. To enable this, Fantasy Akhada built an audio integration with Saavn which reached 4,053,343 people.
Bring on the memes – Dua Duo!
The brand continued to keep the audience engaged with a meme contest where the winners got an all-expense paid trip to Dubai. They got the ball rolling by collaborating with Yuvraj Dua, and stand up comedian Rahul Dua.
With the Dua duo mobilising their audience, memes came in quick and heavy.
The campaign finally came to a conclusion with the fourth and final film of the series which shows Harsha Bhogle giving in to his fate and asking for a phone so he can play a game or two as well. The film opened to 74,736 views on YouTube, a testament to the intrigue and interest created by the campaign among the audience.
A teaser which got everyone hooked onto the plot, followed by intriguing ads which revealed a totally unique brand feature, supported with some 360 degree marketing – the campaign was spot on!
