Women’s IPL 2023: Brands put the spotlight on biases faced by women athletes in campaigns

Pranali Tawte

23 Mar 2023 00:00 IST

Updated On 23 Mar 2023 06:35 IST

New Update

As brands bowl their campaigns for the first edition of Women's Premier League, Social Samosa takes a closer look at the themes explored in campaigns.

With The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introducing the Women’s Premier League in 2023, brands have lined up Women’s IPL campaigns to finally cater to a wide audience and support women in sports.

Despite being a new property, Women's IPL franchises have attracted a lot of attention. Remarkably, some women-centric brands that are new to sports sponsorship are taking their runups with the first edition of WIPL.

Furthermore, brands are launching campaigns that represent the sporting league in its natural state, utilizing famous players and staying true to the essence of this homegrown fixture. Moreover, these integral elements that dominate the popular culture surrounding the league, such as the lengths to which the fans go to show support for their favorite teams and their expression of love for the players, and this theme can be seen in the campaigns.

Apart from that, women are usually asked questions that men aren't and are often gendered when it comes to sports. Principal Sponsor of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kajaria's campaign highlights these questions and Players of RCB are seen breaking these stereotypes.

Ashok Leyland, Principal Partners of Mumbai Indians, highlights the pain points that its players have faced to be where they are in sports today. Fortune features Indian Cricketer and Gujrat Giants' player Hurley Gala's mother who is shown talking about nutrition and cooking healthy food for her daughter.

On the other hand, Himalaya Wellness Company's #NotFair campaign was started on the field. During the first two days of the match, the RCB players were seen sporting #NotFair on their headgears, which sparked curiosity among viewers. Following that, the headgears had the message “Himalaya Rose, Beauty is not equal to Color” with the motive to debunk beauty myths and encourage inclusivity. This campaign extended even to the print medium.

Here’s a look at Women’s IPL campaigns that are making a difference by talking about gender biases in the sports ecosystem and celebrating women in sports.