It’s Diwali, and brands are not letting their creative fireworks fly. From Swiggy’s ‘meme-verse’, Titan’s sentimental ‘A Promise of Time’ to L’Oréal’s ‘Mujh Mein Hai Diwali’ and Tanishq Singapore’s ‘India Wali Diwali’, emotions and festive feelings are all over. But none of them stick in your head like an earworm.
On the calendar of brands, Diwali is one of the most important advertising windows that often gives a boost to sales. At the same time, it holds deep religious and emotional value. So, any misstep, whether in the portrayal of rituals, attire, or messaging, can lead to public backlash or even calls for boycotts. And if not done well, it also becomes a missed opportunity.
But veteran PR and communications professional Dilip Cherian said it’s more than just the fear of public backlash that shapes brand campaigns during festivals.
While Cherian acknowledged that people are more open to spending during Diwali, he pointed out that they are not necessarily open to trying something new.
“People believe in ‘comfort of the old and continuity of the past’ and brands also tend to stick to it,” he said. Despite the flurry of ads every year, he noted, not one Diwali campaign has left a lasting impression or delivered strong recall value.
Cherian explained that Diwali ads are often kept short because every second of screen time comes at a high cost, making brands wary of going all out.
“Typically, a campaign is built to strengthen a brand’s identity or messaging,” he said. “But during Diwali, the objective shifts, it’s all about driving impulse purchases in a short window.”
As a result, creativity often takes a backseat, and brand managers tend to be more cautious, with focus on offers and sales — elements that drive sales during festive season.
“Brand managers are less creative around this time and more careful,” he added.
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Some decent attempts
Some brands did step up this Diwali, with Birla Opus Paints and L’Oréal’s campaigns being noteworthy attempts.
Typically, Diwali ads lean on the emotional trope of children returning home to surprise their parents, adding that feel-good sparkle. But Birla Opus Paints’ ‘Kya Iss Baar Diwali Cancel’, conceptualised by Leo India, surprised. When a mother is visibly sad after her son cancels his Diwali visit due to work, one might expect the usual emotional twist, maybe a surprise arrival or a branded gift. But the ad takes a refreshing turn through the father’s quiet optimism.
He keeps the Diwali spirit alive by painting the house in their son’s favourite colour and inviting friends and neighbours over. The message is simple: even if family is far away, the festival’s essence can still shine bright.
L’Oréal also made its first entry into Diwali campaigns with Alia Bhatt, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, and Anushka Ranjan, recreating a cherished childhood photo.
The feeling of this campaign owes a lot to the track, a song written by Prasoon Joshi, CCO and CEO of McCann Worldgroup India, composed by Sneha Khanwalkar, and rendered by Harjot Kaur. Blending nostalgia with modern rhythm, the music is uplifting and comforting, sharing the message that Diwali is not just an external celebration but a festival that lives within you.
“These campaigns from L’Oréal as well as Tanishq Singapore are well-produced and visually strong, but haven’t really struck an emotional chord. We don’t see many brands being bold or disruptive anymore, the way Anurag Kashyap’s Netflix Diwali ad dared to be different,” said Vishakha Talreja, Co-founder, Neev Communications.
The ad Talreja referred to is a 2016 Diwali commercial by Netflix, and it’s anything but traditional. Starring filmmaker Anurag Kashyap as the dad, it opens with a house adorned with diyas and festive lights, and packed with the usual suspects.
It starts with slow-motion shots of happy children, fancy jewelry gifts for the wife, and those over-the-top Diwali smiles. All the standard Diwali ad tropes are on full display, until the voice-over kicks in: “This is exactly what every Diwali ad looks like.”
Netflix had delivered a tongue-in-cheek anti-ad that poked fun at these predictable clichés. It’s a meta take that mocks the formula, while cleverly positioning itself as the disruptor in a sea of festive sameness.
However, such attempts are far and few.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)