BGMI’s latest campaign merges gaming nostalgia with ad humor

BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI) has launched a new campaign titled ‘BGMI Drops’ in collaboration with Talented, taking a satirical spin on India’s long-standing surrogate advertising trend.

The campaign, crafted for social media audiences, flips the concept of surrogate ads - traditionally used to disguise real product categories — into self-aware parody. It transforms recognisable BGMI game elements into fictional consumer brands, such as BGMI Energy Drink, BGMI Helmet, and BGMI OnlyPans.

Directed by Akimbo (Mandakini Menon & Bopanna MG) and produced by Potli Baba Mediahouse, each parody film combines nostalgia for 90s Indian advertising with modern internet humor. The first video reportedly garnered over four million organic views within 24 hours of release.

Srinjoy Das, associate director - Marketing and Product, KRAFTON India, said: “BGMI has always set the tone for pop culture in India. With BGMI Drops, we wanted to speak in the native tongue of our players — referential, meme-driven, and self-aware. The films don’t just entertain; they invite participation. We can’t wait to see how the community takes this and runs with it.”

Adding perspective on the creative approach, Ritika Shriram and Aaliya Sheikh, brand strategy and creative at Talented, said: “Surrogate ads were about hiding intent. We turned that inside out. These films wear their disguise proudly, inviting viewers to spot the subtext — and in doing so, make BGMI part of everyday conversations.”

The directors Mandakini and Bopanna shared, “We treated the BGMI films like time travel through Indian ad tropes. One film lives in the 90s FMCG world where everything was squeaky clean, shiny, and slightly over the top. That nostalgia shaped everything — casting, cinematography, and even music. Each film had its own comedic meter and visual language for us to play with.”

Through BGMI Drops, the brand connects with Gen Z and millennial audiences by blending gaming culture with the aesthetics of Indian advertising history. Presented as a parody storefront on trybgmi.com, the campaign invites fans to explore easter eggs, interact with faux products, and engage in the broader inside joke — all without showing a second of gameplay.