ONE Asia Creative Awards
ONE Asia Creative Awards celebrates the best creative work of the year from the Asia Pacific region. Formerly known as the One Show Greater China Awards, which was founded in 2014 by The One Club for Creativity, the awards were established because of the tremendous growth and evolution of creativity in the Asia Pacific market. It presents an unparalleled level of prestige and honor for creatives, designers and innovators in the region. The awards are a fusion of culture where East meets West that brings the creativity of the region to the global stage.
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Category
Online Advertising & Mobile Video
Annual ID
OA25_INM001S
Background
Battlegrounds Mobile India – popularly known as BGMI is one of India’s leading Mobile games with an active and fameworthy community of 200 million gamers. It is an online multiplayer battle royale game and was launched in 2021by Krafton, a South Korean video game publisher. Since its launch, it’s turned into a cultural phenomenon, shaping conversations and connections. Infact, there are gamers who owe their fame and fortune to BGMI – crediting the game for expanding gaming as a legit pathway to growth. And yet it’s also shrouded in negativity.
While gamers credit BGMI with personal, professional and emotional growth, the non-gamer community carry an archaic view of gaming overall and BGMI specifically. From government stakeholders to authority figures in society (parents, teachers, community leaders), they all believe that online games are violent, addictive and create isolated individuals. This view is based in bias and rarely derived from actual experience of the game, and yet it has had an adverse impact on the game’s social acceptance.
The lack of social acceptance often leads to ridicule and judgement for gamers. So, despite the global gamer community growing strength to strength and influencing pop culture conversations, India’s gamer community find themselves forced into their own echo chambers – not being allowed to advocate themselves or celebrate their love for BGMI openly. Forcing the gamers into silence, even as the gamer community grows in numbers.
BGMI needed to champion the true value of gaming – giving gamers the ammunition to show why they love the game.
While gamers credit BGMI with personal, professional and emotional growth, the non-gamer community carry an archaic view of gaming overall and BGMI specifically. From government stakeholders to authority figures in society (parents, teachers, community leaders), they all believe that online games are violent, addictive and create isolated individuals. This view is based in bias and rarely derived from actual experience of the game, and yet it has had an adverse impact on the game’s social acceptance.
The lack of social acceptance often leads to ridicule and judgement for gamers. So, despite the global gamer community growing strength to strength and influencing pop culture conversations, India’s gamer community find themselves forced into their own echo chambers – not being allowed to advocate themselves or celebrate their love for BGMI openly. Forcing the gamers into silence, even as the gamer community grows in numbers.
BGMI needed to champion the true value of gaming – giving gamers the ammunition to show why they love the game.
Creative Idea
We needed to change the public perception of BGMI. But really the big question was how do we get non-gamers to check out a game that they already didn’t like. So, we needed an idea that showcased the cultural force of BGMI.
We discovered that gamers spend 3X more time on BGMI message-boards than in the game. And they weren’t just forming teams, they were forming lifetime partnerships. Many gamers had found love and turned connections online into relationships offline. And one such couple was on the cusp of turning their love into marriage. So, we decided that a relationship that started in-game deserved a wedding of epic proportions INSIDE the game.
A wedding that was the best opportunity to invite non-gamers to come experience the game as they enjoy the wedding. And the best opportunity to reinforce the gamer’s belief that BGMI is a phenomenon – impacting more than a score and leaving imprints in all parts of a gamer’s life in the best ways.
We invited India to something all Indians love. A great Indian Wedding. After a long search, we found Jaspreet and Tanupreet, a couple from the small Indian town of Meerut. Jaspreet and Tanupreet (Or OnFireXVeronica and OnFireXHades), met in the game, got to know each other in the game and fell in love in the game. And gamers and non-gamers showed up in hordes to celebrate the first BGMI couple to get married in BGMI.
The idea was centered on a simple truth. Gamers know the value of the game and experience real-life impact on the daily. Infact connections made online were turning into lifetime partnerships offline.
We discovered that gamers spend 3X more time on BGMI message-boards than in the game. And they weren’t just forming teams, they were forming lifetime partnerships. Many gamers had found love and turned connections online into relationships offline. And one such couple was on the cusp of turning their love into marriage. So, we decided that a relationship that started in-game deserved a wedding of epic proportions INSIDE the game.
A wedding that was the best opportunity to invite non-gamers to come experience the game as they enjoy the wedding. And the best opportunity to reinforce the gamer’s belief that BGMI is a phenomenon – impacting more than a score and leaving imprints in all parts of a gamer’s life in the best ways.
We invited India to something all Indians love. A great Indian Wedding. After a long search, we found Jaspreet and Tanupreet, a couple from the small Indian town of Meerut. Jaspreet and Tanupreet (Or OnFireXVeronica and OnFireXHades), met in the game, got to know each other in the game and fell in love in the game. And gamers and non-gamers showed up in hordes to celebrate the first BGMI couple to get married in BGMI.
The idea was centered on a simple truth. Gamers know the value of the game and experience real-life impact on the daily. Infact connections made online were turning into lifetime partnerships offline.
Insights & Strategy
We needed to find a uniquely Indian motivation to get non-gamers to move beyond their biases and join gamers in BGMI. And it came in the form of love. We decided to show India that BGMI too is contributing to love in the most meaningful way.
Because India’s love for love is socially coded in India’s society and seeped in its culture. Whether you’re a gamer or a non-gamer, love fuels our collective imaginations. India’s two national obsessions, Bollywood and Cricket, find virality when love is celebrated. We cheer every time Shahrukh Khan woos his lady-love. We collectively sigh when Virat Kohli, a cricketing legend waves at his wife Anushka, his wife, in the middle of a game.
From mythology to modern storytelling, love has shaped our society and our social rituals. Specifically, weddings plays a big role in getting communities together. While a wedding symbolizes the bonding of two individuals and their families, in India that bonding extends to guests as well. A wedding invitation carries deep meaning and guests show up as a mark of respect to the families involved. It’s a moment of celebration for the community, not just the couple. Even the pandemic didn’t press pause on weddings! With guests joining virtually on Zoom and even the metaverse to attend weddings.
Thus, a wedding became the perfect opportunity to invite non-gamers to experience BGMI, a game they often opposed. It was also a chance to remind gamers of what they’ve always knows - that BGMI is more than just a high score; it's a phenomenon that shapes lives, relationships, and memories in the best possible ways.
Because India’s love for love is socially coded in India’s society and seeped in its culture. Whether you’re a gamer or a non-gamer, love fuels our collective imaginations. India’s two national obsessions, Bollywood and Cricket, find virality when love is celebrated. We cheer every time Shahrukh Khan woos his lady-love. We collectively sigh when Virat Kohli, a cricketing legend waves at his wife Anushka, his wife, in the middle of a game.
From mythology to modern storytelling, love has shaped our society and our social rituals. Specifically, weddings plays a big role in getting communities together. While a wedding symbolizes the bonding of two individuals and their families, in India that bonding extends to guests as well. A wedding invitation carries deep meaning and guests show up as a mark of respect to the families involved. It’s a moment of celebration for the community, not just the couple. Even the pandemic didn’t press pause on weddings! With guests joining virtually on Zoom and even the metaverse to attend weddings.
Thus, a wedding became the perfect opportunity to invite non-gamers to experience BGMI, a game they often opposed. It was also a chance to remind gamers of what they’ve always knows - that BGMI is more than just a high score; it's a phenomenon that shapes lives, relationships, and memories in the best possible ways.
Execution
In India, every wedding is a celebration that plays out over days. Multiple days signify different rituals and have symbolic value. And each day was celebrated within the game in all its glory.
The starting point of our idea was our invite. An elaborate traditional Indian wedding invite, that delightfully turned tradition on its head by incorporating elements from BGMI into a traditional Indian design aesthetic. This was done in painstaking detail as elements like grenades, pans, rifles and vehicles were depicted within traditional Indian designs. Resulting in a uniquely quirky, yet Indian design. Invitations were sent out to those who love love. Like Karan Johar – the director of India’s iconic love stories, and Tanmay Bhat, a pop-culture phenomenon. Invites went out to gamers, game-enthusiasts and non-gamers alike.
While this design union is embodied most in the invite, it also extended to the entire wedding. Including the Mehendi design, the traditional henna temporary tattoos and more. Every piece combined the tangible elements of the game with the spirit of love in India.
We created custom wedding spaces in BGMI by blending Indian wedding design and BGMI’s game design. The wedding was hosted on a custom server where the bride, groom and guests used in-game features, emotes and voice channels to interact.
We got Ritu Beri, India’s iconic fashion designer, to make the wedding outfits. Benny Dayal, a famous Bollywood musician, to serenade the couple with his most famous love songs.
All in all, we built an experience around a cultural moment that’s invitational – turning BGMI into a perfect bridge between non-gamers and gamers.
The starting point of our idea was our invite. An elaborate traditional Indian wedding invite, that delightfully turned tradition on its head by incorporating elements from BGMI into a traditional Indian design aesthetic. This was done in painstaking detail as elements like grenades, pans, rifles and vehicles were depicted within traditional Indian designs. Resulting in a uniquely quirky, yet Indian design. Invitations were sent out to those who love love. Like Karan Johar – the director of India’s iconic love stories, and Tanmay Bhat, a pop-culture phenomenon. Invites went out to gamers, game-enthusiasts and non-gamers alike.
While this design union is embodied most in the invite, it also extended to the entire wedding. Including the Mehendi design, the traditional henna temporary tattoos and more. Every piece combined the tangible elements of the game with the spirit of love in India.
We created custom wedding spaces in BGMI by blending Indian wedding design and BGMI’s game design. The wedding was hosted on a custom server where the bride, groom and guests used in-game features, emotes and voice channels to interact.
We got Ritu Beri, India’s iconic fashion designer, to make the wedding outfits. Benny Dayal, a famous Bollywood musician, to serenade the couple with his most famous love songs.
All in all, we built an experience around a cultural moment that’s invitational – turning BGMI into a perfect bridge between non-gamers and gamers.
Results
20 million+ views for Great In-Game Wedding, making it the highest viewed wedding video - competing with the wedding videos of India’s Bollywood superstars like Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone
12% increase in time-spent because of new users, over and above BGMI’s 200 million users.
11% increase in usage of Synergy, an in-game feature that signals the bonding between players. It increases when you play together, send gifts, or interact frequently in the game.
945,455 gamers chose to share a Love Connection on Wedding Day via Synergy. This is the highest level of in-game bonding, showing deep loyalty and dedication between two players.
2X engagement as compared to any other BGMI event.
69% of non-gamers associated the game with love in a post event survey.
24% increase in overall positive sentiment
127% increase in search for BGMI Pan-India – showing that non-gamer curiosity had been sparked.
174 Million in Earned media value
12% increase in time-spent because of new users, over and above BGMI’s 200 million users.
11% increase in usage of Synergy, an in-game feature that signals the bonding between players. It increases when you play together, send gifts, or interact frequently in the game.
945,455 gamers chose to share a Love Connection on Wedding Day via Synergy. This is the highest level of in-game bonding, showing deep loyalty and dedication between two players.
2X engagement as compared to any other BGMI event.
69% of non-gamers associated the game with love in a post event survey.
24% increase in overall positive sentiment
127% increase in search for BGMI Pan-India – showing that non-gamer curiosity had been sparked.
174 Million in Earned media value
2025 Awards
Total Points: 14
Silver Award
Credits
Agency
DDB Mudra Group / Mumbai
Production Company
The Bombay Film Company / Mumbai
Animator
Akash Davda
Yaseen Hafees
Chief Creative Officer
Rahul Mathew
Copywriter
Abhignaa Jagirdar
Abhishek Rasane
Executive Creative Director
Diya Sarkar
Associate Client Solutions Head
Kavya Mendiratta
CEO & Managing Director
Aditya Kanthy
CLIENT SOLUTIONS PARTNER
Akansha Taparia
Reet Wadhwani
Corporate Communications Manager
Akanksha Gund
Executive Vice President & Head - Client Business
Shikha Davessar
Group Creative Partner
Sanket Palkar
Reshmi Ghosh
Head - Creative Initiatives
Nidhi Shah
Head of Communications
Pragati Chavan
NATIONAL CREATIVE HEAD
Vishnu Srivatsav
Operations Head
Manoj Papneja
President 22 Feet And Head Diversity And Inclusion
Vanaja Pillai
Senior Vice President - Finance
Ajay Gupta
Sr. Vice President & Head Strategic Planning
Sanchari Chakrabarty
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