Old cricket marketing tools that are slowly fading

India vs New Zealand ICC Champions Trophy final is upon us. And right now might be the right time to revisit some vintage marketing strategies that brands would typically employ around these tournaments, many of which have seemingly faded away a tad bit halfway through the third decade of the century.

A glance at the past

When India lifted the 1983 Cricket World Cup, Kapil Dev’s triumphant smile didn’t just grace the front pages of newspapers—it appeared on Thumbs Up’s dedicated campaign alongside other Indian cricketers, offering miniature bottles, flicker books, and signed bats and balls as collectibles by collecting bottle caps. Cricket tournament marketing once thrived in the physical world, creating memories you could touch, taste, and sometimes even preserve for decades.

 Collectibles, along with some other marketing gimmicks, used to dominate cricket marketing back in the day. Another big hit for the brands during these sporting events were the prize contests. 

Prize contests during this era required physical participation that created genuine excitement. The Britannia Khao aur World Cup Jao promotion during the 1999 World Cup had children frantically opening biscuit packets in search of cricket cards, with the complete set offering the chance to meet their heroes. Hero, during the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, had its own contest to push its Karizma brand.

 

The special edition packaging from brands told their own stories. During the 2007 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, LG launched limited-edition cricket TV sets, calling them the Official World Cup televisions. In 2011, PepsiCo introduced six unique Lay’s flavors inspired by participating World Cup nations: Australia’s Herb Lime, South Africa’s Peri Peri Sauce, Sri Lanka’s Sweet Onion Sauce, England’s Grilled Cheese, West Indies’ Hot & Sweet Chilli, and India’s Magic Masala.

Then, during the 2015 World Cup, Lay’s launched Twitter campaigns like #LaysPlays and #TicketKaGame, offering fans opportunities to win tickets to the World Cup finals and other prizes.

While prize contests were the staple for brands to mark their presence during these events, perhaps nothing captures the cricket marketing spirit of yesteryears better than the tournament jingles. Coca-Cola’s Eat Cricket, Sleep Cricket, Drink Only Coca-Cola became an anthem that transcended advertising to become part of the cultural lexicon. And do you remember Hero Honda’s 2011 Dhak Dhak Go, India go campaign for the World Cup? That had us all humming, too.

Cricket marketing now

Smartphones and tablets have replaced television as the primary screen for most of us. Social media is where all the eyeballs are. So, it makes sense why today’s cricket marketing has pivoted dramatically toward experiences that are digitally interactive, personalised, and often intangible.

Real-time marketing has become the new battlefield. When a batsman hits a spectacular six, brands now tweet cleverly contextual content within seconds. Meme and moment marketing has taken precedence. 

That isn’t to say that some brands aren’t still churning out jingles (Vicks, Adidas–we hear you). But the frequency appears to have declined. But how often do we see a limited edition offering or topical packaging from a brand for a tournament? 

Interactive second-screen experiences now dominate. Dream11 and other fantasy platforms have transformed passive viewers into active participants with skin in the game. Apps like Cricbuzz and Cricinfo offer ball-by-ball prediction games with instant rewards, keeping fans glued to their phones even during commercial breaks.

Augmented reality experiences have begun replacing physical collectibles. During the 2022 T20 World Cup, Coca-Cola India’s Thums Up brand launched a “StumpCam” campaign, offering fans exclusive access to match footage and content by scanning a QR code on Thums Up bottles, featuring cricketers like Jasprit Bumrah, Umran Malik, and Brett Lee. These digital experiences offer the thrill of collection without physical limitations.

Community-building has emerged as the ultimate goal. Brands like Star Sports and JioCinema have created viewing parties and fan parks where thousands gather to watch matches together—experiences that generate organic social content and foster deeper connections than any advertisement could achieve.

The new playbook

The evolution from collectibles to clicks reflects broader shifts in consumer behavior. Today’s cricket fans demand personalisation, participation, and purpose from the brands that populate their favorite sport. While special edition packs, prize contests, team jerseys, and jingles haven’t disappeared entirely, they’ve been transformed by digital technology and changing expectations.

As fans cheer on India to bring home another ICC trophy, let us also keep an eye out on how brands spice up the sports marketing space for this highly anticipated final.