KRAFTON India’s BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI) turned April Fools’ Day into an awareness campaign, educating players about the dangers of buying in-game currency (UC) from unauthorized sources.
In collaboration with Maitri Advertising, BGMI launched a scam awareness campaign featuring a fake offer of free UC. To make the deception convincing, the campaign brought back George Thekkumootil, a fan-favorite character from the hit Malayalam sitcom Akkara Kazhchakal.
The campaign aimed to highlight how fraudulent ads lure players into scams, reinforcing the importance of safe in-game purchases through official channels.
At the heart of the campaign was a mockumentary-style video, where a shady salesman offered UC top-ups, elite passes, exclusive skins, and premium vehicles in exchange for money and account details. The video showcased how such scams operate and the risks of losing accounts to fraudsters.
Shot in the United States with the original Akkara Kazhchakal team and edited in Kerala by Maitri Advertising, the video used nostalgia and humor to make the message engaging and impactful.
“Akkara Kazhchakal, a beloved Malayalam sitcom from the late 2000s, humorously portrayed the struggles of a Malayali family in the US. Its resurgence on Instagram and TikTok made it the perfect nostalgic touch for BGMI’s anti-scam prank.” – Francis Thomas, Group Creative Director, Maitri Advertising
Taking the prank a step further, BGMI launched a dedicated landing page that mimicked scam websites. Players who entered their BGMI ID expecting free UC were immediately informed that it was a trap, designed to teach them how fraudsters operate.
Within hours, the campaign generated:
📌 3.6 million views
📌 182,000 likes
📌 265,000 shares
📌 4,200 comments
📌 135,000 website clicks
The Malayali gaming community loved the reunion of Akkara Kazhchakal characters, while non-Malayaleesappreciated the creative execution.
“April Fools’ has always been a time for inside jokes, but this year, we wanted to use it for education too. With over 2 lakh shares already, it’s clear the message resonated. We’re excited to create more surprises for our fans in the future!” – Srinjoy Das, Associate Director of Marketing, KRAFTON
🔹 Client: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI)
🔹 Agency: Maitri Advertising Pvt. Ltd
🔹 Managing Director: Raju Menon
🔹 Chief Operating Officer: Jayakumar N
🔹 Director Ideation: Venugopal R Nair
🔹 Creative Directors: Francis Thomas & Vincent Vadakkan
🔹 Chief Media Officer & Key Accounts Head: Sumit G
🔹 Director, Digital and Overseas Business: Sumit Raj
🔹 Head (Digital & Creatives): Ajay Sathyan
🔹 Writer & Art Director: Muhammed Farhan
🔹 Senior Editor: Anil Jacob
🔹 Editor: Sharath Chandran
With this viral campaign, BGMI not only entertained its community but also delivered a critical message about in-game security, proving that April Fools’ Day can be both fun and informative. 🎮🔥
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