Lights, Camera, Hydration

The Challenge

For IPL 2026, we partnered with Bisleri to create a three-film branded content campaign across three IPL franchises — Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The campaign enlisted 9 cricketers alongside actors Jaideep Ahlawat (RCB) and Jagapathi Babu (SRH) as special cast, weaving Bisleri into the everyday off-field rituals of cricket’s biggest stars.

Hydration isn’t a break from performance — it’s the foundation of it. Each film reframes a mundane moment (a team huddle, an ad shoot, a team dinner) through cinematic misdirection, only to reveal that Bisleri was the quiet hero all along. The campaign draws on the tension between high-stakes cricket culture and the simple, human act of drinking water.

The Treatment

PBKS

  • The Strategy: Shreyas Iyer’s high-tension tactical briefing pivots into a masterclass on the perfect bottle flip — turning match prep into a lesson in balance and precision.

RCB

  • The Vibe: Players walk onto a chaotic ad set expecting hustle, only to find zen stillness. A quirky Jaideep Ahlawat reveals the shoot is simply a perfectly timed water break.

SRH

  • The Confrontation: Jagapathi Babu storms a team dinner demanding “Kab dega?” — players fear a debt collector, but he’s demanding the trophy, and the secret starts with the bottle in his hand.

The campaign relies on extreme tonal shifts and cinematic misdirection. PBKS uses intense seriousness to deliver playful humor; RCB uses a Meta, behind-the-scenes style to contrast game-day intensity with nonchalant relaxation; and SRH leverages Mass cinema tropes, turning an intimidating confrontation into a moment of playful mentorship.

The Craft

Cinematography: All films utilize a vertical-first approach. PBKS employs static wide-angles and dramatic spotlights , while RCB uses handheld, observational styles with natural camera drift. SRH features exaggerated “Hero” entries with theatrical close-ups.

Color Grading: Visual tones range from a moody, desaturated war room grade for PBKS to a warm, chill-zone glow for RCB. SRH is bathed in a 5-star luxury palette of rich gold and deep wood tones, making the Bisleri Green pop as the vibrant hero.

Audio Identity: PBKS features a suspenseful, rhythmic thriller score that refuses to acknowledge the joke, amplifying the irony of a successful bottle flip. RCB shifts to a laid-back, mid-tempo groove with a cool-cat swing to underscore the effortless nature of their break. SRH rounds out the trio with a high-octane score featuring heavy percussion and brass, mirroring the Mass cinema flair of a legendary reveal.

The campaign draws on the tension between high-stakes cricket culture and the simple, human act of drinking water.

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