Jewellery advertising in India has followed the same template for decades now. Either there is a young couple celebrating love, a bride getting ready for her wedding, or a mother passing down an heirloom. Everyone is selling the same ideas of new beginnings and relationships.
But, Tanishq’s latest campaign breaks this pattern. The ad film, featuring Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, shifts the focus to long-lasting love. Not looking at the promise of the future but a love story that has already lived over four decades. It talks about a bond that is built and strengthened over time, a bond that has trust and is rare, just like Tanishq’s diamonds.
The clip opens with a natural conversation between two people who have spent a lifetime together. There is no over-the-top wedding or emotional exchange. There is warmth, simplicity, and some banter, much like their off-screen equation.
Azmi and Akhtar are both icons of Indian cinema. But, they are not playing fictional roles here. They are simply being themselves, be it Akhtar hesitating to admit that they had a love marriage, to Azmi pulling his leg at every slip–up.
The ad then ends revealing the Soulmate Diamond Pair, crafted from a natural diamond that has taken billions of years to form.
Tanishq positions jewellery not as a marker of milestone but as a symbol of continuity and deep connection. The metaphor is clear and effective: real love takes time, just like real diamonds. Both are shaped by pressure, patience, and endurance.
“Jewellery brands, especially Tanishq, have traditionally focused on conversations and social issues rather than the product itself. From women’s empowerment to inter-caste marriages, their advertising has consistently taken a stand. Even more recently, the Sachin Tendulkar campaign addressed the important issue of gold imports subtly promoting brands’ exchange offer,” said Vishakha Talreja, co-founder, of Neev Communications, a Delhi-based PR agency.
Talreja said that an older couple was the right choice for the ad as it makes the commercial and the communication both grounded and credible.
“Javed and Shabana, in particular, represent an unconventional yet strong love story, liberal values and emotional maturity, qualities that align well with the message. The new-age, chatty, podcast-style filming also gives the campaign a contemporary feel,” she said.
But, while the entrepreneur was impressed with the ad and appreciates the intent, for her, it doesn’t quite match the emotional recall of some of Tanishq’s earlier, more iconic campaigns.
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Navigating a tricky terrain
Talreja, who has been in the PR industry for ten years, calls the shift in Tanishq’s communication “deliberate.”
According to her, the brand’s campaign isn’t out of the blue, it’s a well-thought-out move at a time when lab-grown diamonds are gaining popularity.
While lab-grown diamonds are cheaper and appeal to eco-conscious consumers, Tanishq emphasises the timeless value of naturally formed diamonds. Now, in a market increasingly tempted by convenience and cost, talking about natural diamonds is like swimming against the current. And, the brand has shown the courage to do so.
Tanishq goes beyond emotional storytelling to stress authenticity, rarity, and transparency, and communicate how natural diamonds are superior to lab-grown ones.
“They (Tanishq) clearly want to refocus consumer attention on buying or rather, investing in natural diamonds,” she said.
The rarity of natural diamonds becomes a metaphor for a love that isn’t transient, a connection that is rare.
In doing so, Tanishq navigates the tricky terrain of commercial persuasion without making the message feel preachy.
Brand: Tanishq
Agency: Kommune
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(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)