Flipkart has rolled out a campaign, 'Umpires for Sale' featuring New Zealand cricket umpire, Billy Bowden, to highlight the offers of its sale.

Conceptualised by Leo, the campaign consists of an ad film.

In the film, umpire Bowden takes charge at Everybody’s Cognitive Coaching Institute, stepping in as a coach who urges his students to 'reach for the signal,' only for his training session to spiral into a series of absurd, hilarious misinterpretations, trainees attempt a 'free hit' with exaggerated gestures, signal everyday products like a washing machine, a sofa, and even a 75-inch TV as if they’re part of umpiring protocol, while Bowden watches in amused disbelief, calling their efforts 'creative' but clearly unconventional; the chaos builds until the reveal that this madness is actually the point, as the film flips the idea of umpire signals into a playful game where viewers can spot hidden Flipkart products within each signal, scan a code, identify what they saw, and unlock exciting deals, ending with Bowden’s satisfied nod as he finally finds something truly worth signalling. Bowden ends saying, "Jab seedhe tareeke se offer nahi mila, toh thoda tareeka badalna pada" (when playing it straight didn’t get me the deal, I had to bend the rules a little).

What we think about it: The film leans into Billy Bowden’s eccentricity to deliver a genuinely entertaining watch, and the interactive twist of spotting products within signals is a smart way to pull viewers into the sales narrative. That said, the chaos occasionally overshadows clarity, with the core message around offers feeling slightly buried beneath the humour.

The campaign was released on YouTube on 27 March.