If only Swiggy Instamart had used half the creativity they showcase on social media in their recent Himesh Reshammiya collaboration, the campaign might have been actually entertaining.
The quick commerce platform rolled out a New Year’s campaign starring the Bollywood musician. The concept hinges on political “breaking news” coverage, with Reshammiya announcing a new ‘party’. However, this isn’t your typical political affair—it’s a metaphorical, endless New Year celebration made possible by Swiggy Instamart’s speedy delivery of party essentials.
Meanwhile, Swiggy Instamart’s X handle on New Year’s Eve was one of the most entertaining profiles. The updates were candid and original, with a heavy dose of humour—something they couldn’t manage to replicate in their New Year commercial.
A total buzzkill
The ad, conceptualised by Swiggy’s in-house creative team, leans on Reshammiya’s signature style and his pop-culture aura to engage audiences, with musical references here and there.
While the audience showered love on Reshammiya’s appearance on Instagram, the ad failed to make the most of the singer’s quirky persona.
The punchlines? Flat. The humor? Yawn-worthy.
With the line “naam hai tera tera“, Swiggy Instamart hinted at Reshammiya’s iconic song. But, it didn’t offer much to the creativity of the script. It’s bland.
Cliches aren’t enemies but cliches without a spark of wit or humour should be declared a crime in the creativity world. The video might tickle your funny bone only if you are high as a kite. When sober, it’s a total buzzkill.
While the commercial cannot be dismissed altogether, it’s more like a first draft of something that could have gone viral. Because 2.8 million views on Instagram isn’t that great of a feat nowadays.
A year ago, this commercial could have done wonders but lately, brands like Cred and YouTube India have been rolling out collaboration videos with a pinch of 90s nostalgia. Bringing back actors and reviving their iconic characters has become a go-to for brands to make their commercials relatable and go viral on social media.
Therefore, a low-effort collaboration like that of Swiggy Instamart doesn’t do the job.
Maybe the brand could have rolled out a song on New Year in Reshammiya’s style. Or maybe a spin on the singer’s iconic “tandoori nights” could have made the video better. The options were umpteen. But, unfortunately, Swiggy Instamart settled with the first script that hit their tables.
However, what turned out to be better than the actual commercial is another video the brand shot with Reshammiya, where the singer narrates cheesy pick-up lines for the New Year.
For example, “Are you upma, kyunki meri nigaahon mein tera chehra rawa hai.”
The video has clocked over 4.7 million views on Instagram.
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The ‘Cred’ touch
While the Swiggy Instamart commercials have a unique copywriting, they also seem to have a ‘Cred’ touch.
Swiggy Instamart’s recent string of collaborations with cricketers and actors also remind us of Cred’s outings.
Cred is a credit card management platform, also famous for delivering quirky commercials. Its collaboration with former cricketer Rahul Dravid in the famous ‘Indiranagar ka gunda’ commercial won the brand applause from all corners.
But Swiggy Instamart’s New Year commercial, in particular, reminds us of the Cred ad that featured Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.
The hilarious video took a dig at the media frenzy around the Olympic star, with Chopra playing the roles of a journalist, cashier, marketing executive, filmmaker and an aspiring javelin thrower with equal elan.
While Swiggy’s scripts are quite different from that of Cred, the brand seems to be following a similar route.
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A successful track record
Over the past two years, Swiggy Instamart has established itself as a frontrunner in creative advertising, consistently delivering commercials that blend humour, relatability, and sharp storytelling.
From poking fun at household dilemmas to tapping into quirky human behaviors, the brand has successfully kept its messaging dynamic and memorable.
In one of their recent commercials, Swiggy Instamart collaborated with Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and took the internet by storm. The brand capitalised on his habit of forgetting words and saying ‘yeh-woh’ to deliver a hilarious ad.
The ‘yeh se leke woh tak’ video, also featuring Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdeh, has clocked over 24.8 million views on Instagram.
The brand has also teamed up with Rakhi Sawant, singer Sukhbir, and rapper Nazey in the past for commercials that went viral on Instagram algorithm, raking views in millions.
This creativity has not only boosted Swiggy Instamart’s brand visibility but also solidified its identity in the competitive instant delivery market.
Their commercials go beyond traditional advertising, merging clever storytelling and collaborations that push their audience engagement further.
But their New Year Eve’s stint is a missed opportunity.
Dear Swiggy, this party could have been so much better!
Brand: Swiggy Instamart
Agency: In-house
Actor: Himesh Reshammiya
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)