Dream11 explains itself with four dumbed-down ads

You don’t want people to be clueless about IPL 2020’s title sponsor, do you?

On 18 August 2020, IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel told PTI that fantasy sports platform Dream11 wins IPL title sponsorship rights with a bid of Rs 222 crore.

Fantasy sports platform Dream11 wins IPL title sponsorship rights with a bid of Rs 222 crore: IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel to PTI

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 18, 2020

The IPL, always held in the summer months of March, April, and May was postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. BCCI, India’s cricket board, after much deliberation decided to hold the event in the UAE instead in September, October, and November.

The escalating anti-China sentiment forced Vivo, the smartphone brand under China’s BBK, to withdraw its title sponsorship of the IPL which it had acquired in 2018 for five years for a sum of Rs 2,199 crore.

“We welcome Dream11 on board as Title Sponsor for the 2020 edition of the IPL,” said Patel in a press release but what is Dream11 and how does it work?

To answer this question, the brand released four videos on 7 September 2020. They look less advertisement and more infomercials. Each video catered to one particular aspect of Dream 11. All four videos are dumbed-down; we assume it’s to make sure all viewers understand it and not just those who’re familiar with fantasy sports apps.

The first video answers the main question - What is Dream11? Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma explains it’s a cricket fantasy game on mobile. You pick a team from the two teams' players squaring off against each other. Basis the performance of players, you win points and remember captains and vice captains win most points. Enter any of the contests on the app and win.

The second video answers how to download the Dream11 app. We questioned the need for the ad because you often go the app or play store to download an app. Turns out, it’s a different game here. The video lays out a series of instructions to download the app, don’t miss any of it.

You’d downloaded the Dream11 app. How do you play on it? Choose the match you want to play, use 100 credits to build your dream team from players of the two teams. Join a cash contest from the list, and stand to win.

And last, how do you score on the app? Whenever you chosen player scores a run, takes a wicket or a catch, you get points and even bonus points for key milestones. Captains get you double points and vice-captains, one and a half. And yes, the points system differ based on the game's format.