Case Study: How BGMI's regional ads used pop culture and humour to collectively reach over 120mn views

BGMI tapped into the film fandom and popular culture of South India to resonate deeply with the local audience, embedding itself into the cultural zeitgeist and reaching over 120 million users. Here's a case study on how they achieved this.

Category Introduction  

India’s gaming market is currently booming with 568 million gamers in FY23 making it second in the world. With 15.4 billion game downloads in FY23, India tops the global list in-game downloads. With access to high-performance smartphones, affordable high-speed internet, and growing talent, online video games have become a lucrative destination for developers, investors, and players alike, presenting immense untapped potential.

Brand Introduction  

KRAFTON is a South Korean game developer, publisher and the makers of the popular mobile game BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI). With over 199 million downloads by December 2023, BGMI has cultivated a vibrant audience base, becoming a cultural phenomenon in the country.

Summary  

BGMI’s South India campaign was aimed at embracing local cultures and catering to the unique interests and passion of gamers across the country. Making a bold move away from generic dubbed advertisements that are usually served to the region, KRAFTON collaborated with local agencies, celebrities, and talent to curate four films - one in Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil each, that truly resonated with the audience. 

Based on this ethos, BGMI's regional ad films were born.

Objective  

In an effort to strengthen its foothold in the dynamic South Indian market, Krafton India aimed to position BGMI not merely as a game, but as a vital part of the region’s cultural tapestry. The objective was to transcend traditional advertising by leveraging the deep-rooted film fandom and vibrant subcultures unique to South India. The goal was to create a cultural movement that would integrate BGMI into the daily lives and conversations of the target audience, thereby enhancing brand perception, engagement, and user base.

Creative Idea  

The campaign’s creative idea was to harness the power of film fandom and popular culture in South India. Recognizing the immense influence of the Malayalam film industry, the campaign was designed to resonate deeply with the local audience by embedding BGMI into the cultural zeitgeist. The concept was not to produce conventional ads but to craft narratives and experiences that would organically weave BGMI into the social and cultural fabric of the region. By creating content that mirrored the essence of beloved films and celebrities, BGMI aimed to foster a sense of community and shared identity among gamers.

The Kannada, Telugu and Tamil campaigns were designed with the same approach, leveraging popular regional subcultures that resonate deeply with each region. 

Essential to this strategy was collaboration with the right partners who understand the region. We focused on localized content creation in partnership with film directors, writers, and actors who grasp the regional nuances, ensuring that each campaign was authentically integrated into the cultural landscape.

Challenges  

Understanding and authentically representing the diverse and nuanced cultural landscape of South India, particularly Malayalam cinema, required extensive research and a deep appreciation of local values and aesthetics. Crafting content that seamlessly integrated BGMI into the existing cultural conversations without appearing intrusive or disingenuous was a delicate balance to achieve.

Execution  

The campaign films were launched on BGMI’s official YouTube and Instagram channels to maximize reach and engagement. To foster community interaction, user-generated content (UGC), memes, and shareable content were encouraged, driving participation through contests and creative challenges.

Social media amplification was achieved by collaborating with gaming communities, film pages, and popular content creators, who helped disseminate the campaign across various platforms. Additionally, traditional marketing channels, including cinema advertisements, billboards, and hoardings, complemented the digital efforts, ensuring a comprehensive promotional strategy that engaged audiences through multiple channels.

Malayalam Film - Kottappalli Prabhakaran 2.0

TeluguFilm - Evvarra Manaalni Aapedhi?!

Tamil Film - Konjam Time Irukka? Konjam BGMI Vilaiyaadu

Kannada Film - Psych Maga BGMI Aadtane Iri

Results  

Quantitative 

• Malayalam AD campaign success:
  • Over 3 million views on YouTube.
  • Substantial engagement on Facebook and WhatsApp.
  • Over 300,000 cumulative reshares on Instagram.
  • Most shared brand piece for any gaming brand globally.
• The success of Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil films:
  • Cumulatively racked up over 3 million views on YouTube.
• The campaign generated a total of 120 million views. 

Srinjoy Das, Associate Director and Lead - Marketing, KRAFTON India, expressed his excitement about the success of the BGMI South India campaign, saying, "We are absolutely thrilled with the overwhelming response to our latest ad films. By digging deep to find the pulse of the audience from each of the four states, and collaborating with local talent and celebrities we've created something truly unique that resonates deeply with our BGMI community across South India. A lot of research went into it finding the right creative idea and bringing authentic localization which have paid off, as seen by the Malayalam ad becoming the most shared gaming brand piece globally. We're very grateful to our fan base for their support and are committed to bringing even more unique, exciting and culturally rich content in the future."