BGMI and Dentsu Creative Isobar campaign shows Gen Z phones aren’t complete without the game – Campaign Brief Asia

Dentsu Creative Isobar has unveiled its latest campaign in partnership with KRAFTON India, positioning Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) as the must have first download on every new smartphone. Built on the insight that Gen Z users see their phones as an extension of identity, the campaign captures how downloading BGMI has become an instinctive and expressive part of India’s mobile-first culture. The campaign rolls out with five new creative spots, each bringing this idea to life in fresh and engaging ways.

Rooted in a shared belief that gaming is cultural expression, the campaign reflects a creative vision that is bold, social, and unmistakably youth-first. KRAFTON and Dentsu Creative Isobar partnered to capture BGMI’s role in shaping identity for India’s mobile-first generation. The result is a two-fold campaign brought to life through a series of short films – each designed to celebrate the everyday humour and confident swagger that define the BGMI experience.

Abhijat Bhardwaj, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative Isobar, said: “We wanted the films to carry the same irreverence and energy that players experience in BGMI every day.”

The films are built around the instinctive connection young players have with their devices, where downloading BGMI becomes a reflex, not a decision. The first series leans into this behaviour with outlandish, exaggerated scenarios, from elevator face-offs to manhole escapes, where the one constant is the act of proudly revealing a BGMI-loaded phone. The humour is bold and absurd, but the emotion is grounded in truth: when your phone has BGMI, it instantly carries social weight.

The second series mirrors how Indian youth celebrate milestones but flips the focus. From job offers and housewarming to awkward firsts, each narrative lands on one message: no moment is complete until BGMI is the first app you install. These films borrow from Gen Z humour and meme culture, making them feel native to the feeds where this audience lives, punchy, unexpected, and made to be shared.

Srinjoy Das, Associate Director – Marketing, KRAFTON India, said: “At KRAFTON, we’ve always believed BGMI is shaped by the community that plays it. This campaign reflects that spirit, turning even everyday upgrades into moments that celebrate the player’s instinct to connect, express, and compete. At KRAFTON, we are committed to reflecting real player experiences and giving back to the community that has made BGMI part of daily life.”

Sahil Shah, CEO, Dentsu Creative Isobar, said: “We didn’t want to make ads that look like ads, we set out to create content that sparks a reaction, gets shared, meme’d, and remembered. BGMI gave us the perfect playground, and the community gave it life.”

With over 230 million downloads in India, BGMI has become more than a game, it is a cultural signal for a mobile-first generation. This campaign taps into that momentum, showing how BGMI turns everyday moments into expressions of identity. In a world where devices reflect who we are, as the films roll out, they carry forward a simple message – BGMI isn’t just downloaded, it’s declared.