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Diwali ads are generally high in sugar. As in, 95 per cent range from bad to very bad. The basic formula is to weave some soppy, sugary narrative around the USP; these days there are several USPs packed into a product, as the average brand manager wants to play safe.
The narrative is usually about families coming together, friends coming together, enemies coming together, social classes coming together — if the Beatles were still around, they would have sung ‘Come Together - Part 2’.
This formulaic approach boils down to the need for mass appeal — narratives that resonate universally but don’t always innovate.
Digital ads — made with a young audience in mind, that is — sometimes break from tradition, but the fear of alienating audiences often curbs experimentation. Even when brands use modern technology, such as AI in personalised ads, the underlying message often remains familiar.
Here are some video ads (they used to be called TVCs) that raised the bar in the not-too-distant past, followed by Diwali ads from 2024 — the best of the best, IMHO. Let me know what you think.
Diwali Pre-2024
The Cadbury Dairy Milk “Shubh Aarambh — Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye” campaign has become one of India’s iconic taglines. Launched in early 2000s, it tapped into the tradition of eating something sweet during any auspicious beginning. The tagline evolved into an emotional connection between Cadbury and Indian celebrations.
The “Iss Diwali, Thodi si Jagah Bana lo” campaign by HP India encouraged viewers to create space for kindness and compassion (for small businesses) during Diwali — cleverly pushing its own products.
The Saregama Carvaan Diwali ad with the tagline #ShorYaSangeet creatively addressed the issue of noise pollution during Diwali. A pet owner, conscious of the stress loud firecrackers bring to his dog, opts for a quieter celebration filled with nostalgic music — playing on Saregama Carvaan, of course.
My favourite. The Mankind Pharma Diwali 2020 ad, titled #SpreadingKindness and featuring actor and poet Piyush Mishra. With the Covid pandemic in the background, Mishra narrated a heartfelt poetic monologue about the significance of kindness, especially at such challenging times.
The Cadbury Celebrations “Not Just a Cadbury Ad” is probably the most innovative use of digital in a Diwali ad. Launched in 2020, it used AI to spotlight local businesses and encourage shopping locally during the festive season. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s presence helped, of course.
Diwali 2024
Xiaomi India turned a viral rangoli post featuring letters from its logo (M and I) into a brand collaboration. Xiaomi was quick to turn the fan effort into a promotional opportunity, like Coca-Cola has done often before.
The ‘Diwali Shopping With Dadi’ Google Shopping ad features a heartwarming storyline of a grandmother accompanying her precocious granddaughter on a virtual shopping spree — it’s, in fact, a UX masterclass posing as a Diwali story.
Zomato ad takes a dig at the desi love for the “India on Diwali image from space”
Zomato had perhaps the funniest Diwali ad ever — helping NASA shoot an “India on Diwali image from space”, with a box of mithai. The playful jab at India’s love for hyperbole (“certified by UNESCO”) is at cult level — it needs guts and imagination to pull off something like this.
OPPO’s ‘go regional’ campaign takes the viewer on a captivating journey of Diwali celebrations across India, from Himachal to Goa and Rajasthan.
The 2024 Diwali ads mentioned here seem to be going into a truly original, authentic direction.
(Shubho Sengupta is a digital marketer with an analogue past)
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