Boundary Alert! Top Digital Marketing Innovations That Hit A Four During The IPL Season, ET BrandEquity

This year, the IPL season took digital marketing to a whole new level, leaving audiences in awe of the experiences brands created. Going beyond just brand films, influencers and team collaborations, brands used AI, AR, VR and many other technologies to engage with the fans. Here are the top digital innovations in experiential marketing that bowled us over:Jio VIP Box: The brand said ‘For true fans only,’ and it ensured true fans were given VIP treatment! The Jio VIP box allowed fans to get up close and personal with their favourite teams through AR technology, snap selfies with the team and receive exclusive video messages from IPL teams tailored using real-time generative AI. That’s not all, fans could cheer for their beloved team with AR face paint and helmets! The social media universe exploded with selfies alongside legends like Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma, while teams dedicated thousands of real-time video messages to fans. More surprises await at the unboxing of the Jio VIP Box post-IPL. Visit www.jiovipbox.com to join the fun!

boAt #WearYourSmart: boAt partnered with the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for their #WearYourSmart campaign and demonstrated an immersive experience at Chinnaswamy Stadium Bengaluru. Each seat in the boAt stand held a secret which was revealed by scanning the QR code on the seat. The boAt x RCB filter allowed fans to take a photo with their favourite RCB players and win coupon codes too. The boAt’s selfie kiosk experience was quite similar to the Jio VIP Box, but it was limited to the fans attending RCB matches at Chinnaswamy stadium.

JioDive: Tickets sold out for your favourite IPL team’s match? Got a match ticket, but you wish it were a better-view seat in the stadium? The official digital streaming partner gave away the best seat in the stadium from the comfort of the home through a VR wearable device. The headset is equipped with high-quality adjustable lenses and provides a 90-degree field of view, a 3-way adjustable strap, and a dedicated click button for VR navigation. For the first time in cricketing history, IPL viewers could experience matches in VR And 360-degree format. Additionally, it offered a plethora of VR content, including games, via the JioImmerse app. Visit: www.jio.com/dive

Airtel 5G Plus Ultimate Fan on Star Sports: They say ‘never meet your heroes’, but that was before you could meet them virtually! Airtel and Star Sports collaborated to create an experience where fans of different teams could interact with their cricket idol/heroes in real-time through digital avatars enabled by 5G technology. Fans could participate in a variety of activities with their favourite players, including asking questions, playing games and even taking selfies with them. The initiative not only showcased the power of 5G but its potential to revolutionise the way we interact with the world around us.

The innovative strategies employed by these campaigns have not only enhanced the fan experience but also redefined the way brands engage with their audience. In the years to come, we will continue to see the game change not just on the field but also off the field as brands adopt digital innovations and fans get closer to cricket and their favourite teams.

The integration of technology, creativity, and a deep understanding of fan culture will undoubtedly lead to more exciting developments in the world of sports marketing.

Brand Connect Initiative

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