Cadbury Dairy Milk has rolled out ‘Khaas Seat’, an on-ground activation during the Indian Premier League 2026 season, aimed at first-time stadium attendees. The initiative moves beyond traditional advertising into experience design—bringing new audiences into the live cricket ecosystem. For a brand like Cadbury, which has long positioned itself around moments of joy and sharing, IPL offers a high-attention environment to extend that narrative offline.
The strategic play: from messaging to participation
‘Khaas Seat’ signals a shift from passive brand visibility to active consumer participation. Instead of just buying media inventory, Cadbury is creating access. This delivers: • Emotional brand building through first-time experiences • High recall driven by live, shareable moments • Social amplification as users document and distribute their experiences For marketers, this reinforces the growing importance of “earned moments” over paid impressions.
Industry signal: IPL as an experience platform
IPL is increasingly being used not just as a broadcast property, but as a full-stack engagement platform. Brands are designing interventions across stadiums, digital, and social to maximise impact. This also reflects rising clutter in IPL advertising—forcing brands to differentiate through utility, access, or storytelling rather than just media weight.
The execution layer
The success of such initiatives depends on scale and authenticity. Limited access risks exclusivity without impact; scaled execution requires tight coordination with franchises and league operations.
One sharp observation
In today’s IPL economy, the brands that win aren’t just seen—they’re experienced.