BGMI flips surrogate ads with parody-led ‘BGMI Drops’ campaign

BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA has turned one of Indian advertising’s most familiar formats into a playful brand statement with its new campaign, BGMI Drops. Created with creative agency Talented, the campaign reworks the idea of surrogate advertising by openly embracing parody instead of hiding behind it.

At the centre of the campaign are fictional consumer products inspired by iconic elements from the game, including BGMI Energy Drink, BGMI Helmet and BGMI OnlyPans. Each of these spoof products gets its own exaggerated ad treatment, borrowing the tone of classic FMCG commercials while speaking directly to meme-savvy, internet-native audiences.

What makes the campaign stand out is its self-awareness. Rather than pushing gameplay footage or standard esports messaging, BGMI uses humour, nostalgia and absurdity to build recall in a way that feels more like pop culture than promotion. That shift helps the brand stay relevant with younger viewers who respond better to irony, shareability and community jokes than to direct advertising.

The idea goes beyond films alone. BGMI also extended the campaign into a parody storefront at trybgmi.com, where users could browse the fake products, spot hidden references and interact with the world of the campaign like an inside joke brought to life. According to public coverage, the first film crossed 40 lakh organic views within 24 hours, showing strong traction for the humour-first approach.

For BGMI, the campaign is more than a clever ad format experiment. It shows how gaming brands in India are increasingly blending entertainment, internet culture and community participation to create marketing that travels beyond the game itself.