Dream11’s latest Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign has captured massive attention—not just for its star-studded lineup but for its sharp writing and high production value. Featuring Bollywood icons Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor alongside cricketing superstars Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, the ad has struck a chord with audiences. By blending nostalgia, humor, and competitive team-building, Dream11’s drama-filled IPL campaign, ‘Aapki Team Mein Kaun,’ proves that great advertising is about more than just big budgets and big names.
To offer a glimpse into what went behind the making of this masterstroke campaign, Adarsh Atal, Group Chief Creative Officer at Quotient Ventures, and Shriram Iyer, Co-founder of ZeroFifty Mediawork—the duo behind the concept—joined renowned filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari, who directed the ad, to share exclusive insights into how the campaign took shape and captured the nation’s imagination, at Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit on March 28.
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Reflecting on his experience working with cricketers and directing them for the campaign, Tiwari remarked, “I have worked with each one of them in the past… most of them are very competent. It surprises me every time I work with them.”
Having collaborated with most of the featured cricketers in previous Dream11 campaigns, he noted that familiarity made things easier. “If you’re working with somebody for the first time, it takes a while for that person to understand your style of working and for you to understand how to bring out the best in them. So that made it very easy.”
One key factor in the campaign’s success, according to Tiwari, is that the actors were extremely secured, who were more than willing to go out of their way to push the ad to its desired conclusion.
“…there’s a small section where Aamir pulls Ranbir’s cheek and so in the first take Aamir pulled his cheek a little less, and then Ranbir went and told him do it harder and make him look odd as the scene required (upon being called as Ranveer Singh). There are small things that make so much of a difference,” he shared.
Discussing the challenge of directing cricketers, Tiwari emphasised the importance of understanding their psychology.
“They are extremely disciplined and follow instructions brilliantly. That’s what makes them great cricketers. They know how to follow instructions. You just need to know how to brief them—and then they will surprise you.”
Storyboard18 earlier reported that the campaign is estimated to have cost over Rs 80 crore, including production expenses, celebrity fees, and media amplification. But money alone isn’t what made it work. What truly set this campaign apart was the writing—every line carried weight. As the ad went viral on social media, some netizens even called Dream11’s dramatic 2.5-minute ad “better than an entire 2.5-hour Bollywood movie.”
When asked if creating a big-game ad was intentional, Iyer responded that the brand’s ambition was clear: to deliver entertainment alongside its core messaging.
“It is the time of year that a fantasy gaming brand must own. If you’re going to be present at this decibel level, if you’re going to be this visible, then you have no right to bore or irritate people. The onus is on us to work harder. I don’t think we’ve ever been more serious about comedy.”
Addressing whether a sky’s-the-limit budget impacts creativity, Iyer emphasised that “it’s always idea first. If it’s worth it, and if there’s a client who believes it works for business, then you scale up. It’s not predetermined that you’re going to spend money.”
Atal added, “The most important resources provided to us were time and trust. It took a while to get to the idea we wanted—not because we came up with it at the last moment, but because we explored many different ideas before zeroing in on this one. Then we spent a lot of time refining it. I would call it the budget of trust.”
Regarding logistical challenges, he noted, “We don’t necessarily worry about cost. But yes, logistics come into play because we are dealing with celebrity schedules and cricketers’ time. But it’s always idea first, fun first—what makes us vibe with it.”
Comparing this year’s IPL campaign for Dream11 with previous ones, he also highlighted that the standards were different this year because the team had more fun, but that meant next year’s challenge would be even tougher. “That’s how we look at it. We start even earlier each time. There’s constant pressure to make it better than the last. And finally, when you land on one idea, it just feels right to everyone in the room.”
Iyer further explained that evaluating an idea involves multiple lenses, even for clients.
“We have the game—fantasy gaming on Dream11—we have the fans of the sport, and we have executional elements. But we are always looking for an idea that sits at the intersection of the sport, the game, and the fan. It’s very important for an idea to tick these three boxes.
Entertainment is a given, but sport, game, and fan are non-negotiable. Sometimes, ideas don’t tick all three boxes. At the end of the day, money is being invested, and this is one of the biggest platforms. While entertainment is an objective, there is also a marketing objective, and certain lenses help the client decide whether to greenlight an idea,” he explained.
Reflecting on the behind-the-scenes experience, the creative team highlighted how the actors and cricketers were relaxed and fun to work with on set.
Atal shared, “They were so chilled out and into the fun that we even shot extra films that weren’t planned beforehand. For instance, there’s a commercial titled ‘Rapid Fire’ that was entirely cracked on set in one go.”
Iyer added that it was refreshing to see actors so involved in their craft, especially for a commercial.
“Typically, you don’t expect actors to be that committed to an ad. But they were so in it that it felt like rehearsing a scene from a movie. I saw them improvise. One thing that stood out was that they fully embraced the joke being on them—and they loved it. That’s a great signal for the entire industry: we all need to take ourselves less seriously.”
While this year’s campaign has been a resounding success, the team is already gearing up for next year’s edition. One thing they made clear? There are no other Khans involved—at least not yet.
Under the theme “Powering Change Through Creative Catalysts,” the summit highlighted the interplay of creativity and commerce, showcasing how inventive thinking fuels breakthroughs in technology, marketing, and consumer engagement. This year’s summit boasted an impressive roster of speakers from diverse fields, including government officials, corporate executives, marketing strategists, and creative pioneers. Among the notable participants were Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region; Prabha Narasimhan, MD and CEO, Colgate-Palmolive (India); and Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and MD, Nestle India, among others.
More about the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit
The Global Pioneers Summit is a celebration and exploration of the transformative potential of creativity, empowering individuals and businesses to think differently, act boldly, and craft a future that resonates with purpose and vision. Creativity is not just about artistic expression — it is a force for solving real-world problems, innovating products, and creating connections in ways that traditional methods cannot. And there are pioneers behind this shift, who have dared to think different.
The Global Pioneers Summit stands as a premier celebration of the visionary forces propelling businesses forward, spotlighting the global brands emerging from India — an ever-growing hub of creativity and innovation on the world stage.
From groundbreaking innovations to impactful storytelling, key decision-makers and innovators from business, marketing, advertising, tech, and academia exchange insights, build connections, and draw inspiration from some of the most compelling work driving industries forward globally.
In today’s rapidly evolving world, creativity can be a powerful force to drive business growth, shape industries, and influence societal behavior, culture, and values. Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit puts the spotlight on the true purpose and power of creativity and the pioneers leading the way.