MAM
Diwali ads – the new age way of storytelling
MUMBAI: The advertising sector has undergone an evolution over the years. The storytelling has matured, creatives have changed, and brands are experimenting with fresher and innovative ways to connect with their audience — on television, social media and digital.
A recent phenomenon is the ability of ads to get a product to sell while conveying bold, social messages. Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad, Google’s reunion or the recent Vicks transgender ad spearheaded the trend and managed to not only create an instant connect with the audience but also delivered powerful social messages as they created brand awareness subtly.
While Indians all over the world celebrated Diwali last week with much fanfare and glee, the creative minds at agencies had a hard task ahead of the celebration to create Diwali-targetted campaigns for their clients that are ‘out-of-the-box’ yet resonate with the brand’s identity.
This year, too, saw some striking ads. Some brands urged audiences to spend quality time with their family and loved ones while some stuck to social messages. Even though cynics cast aside these efforts terming them as duplicitous sales techniques, brands need praise for the human touch.
We have listed some of the best Diwali advertisements this year that went beyond the cliched lights, fireworks and sweets.
Lenovo: #GiftThemAFuture this Diwali
In a heartwarming campaign created by Lenovo India, ‘Gift them a future’ is a story about a retired banker who is struggling to keep himself busy by going to his office every day after retirement. His son, who is back home for Diwali gifts him a Lenovo notebook to start his entrepreneurial venture.
Nokia: #UniteForLove
Nokia mobile rolled out its first big cross-platform campaign ahead of the festive season. It stays true to its global brand philosophy of #UniteFor, and rises to the occasion, telling a very touching story. To everyone consumed by technology, it puts human relationships above everything else on occasions when it matters. The campaign created by Dentsu One India proposed that for a day, people spend quality time with their loved ones uninterrupted by phones. Put your phone in a gift box and give it to someone or just keep it aside as a gesture of committing your time—and you—to someone else, stressing on the philosophy of #UniteForLove
Ghadi Detergent: Is Diwali #SaareMaelDhoDaalo
Humans tend to fit strangers into stereotypical boxes that exist in our minds. Continuing with its “saare mael dho daalo” (let’s get rid of the dirty things) proposition, Ghadi detergent’s Diwali campaign urges us to look at everyone afresh without resorting to our biases. The film highlights how the appearance of a policeman in our homes brings doubts of many kinds. It makes us uncomfortable and we tend to get nervous and unsettled. Created by advertising agency ADK Fortune, the TVC shows a policeman visiting a family who are selling their electronic goods online and his interest in buying them.
Amazon prime video: Kahaaniyon wali Diwali
This ad asks the audiences to soak in the joy of storytelling with their loved ones. Storytelling is as old as civilisation. Some stories entertain while others stir up something inside you. This one is a sort of retelling of a conventional happy story — keeping the sweetness and warmth of a father and son’s relationship intact. It not only celebrates the art of weaving a tale, it also turns a simple exchange between a father and a son into a larger than life, wholesome experience; and brings it alive in a magical way.
Dainik Bhaskar: Sarthak Diwali
In its latest campaign for Diwali, Dainik Bhaskar urges people to give respect along with goods to those less privileged and our house help. The TVC shows a house maker handing out diyas, clothes, sweets and firecrackers to her house help on the day of Diwali. Later in the night, she visits her house help’s home to wish her a happy Diwali and hug her. The ad emphasises on a very important point that just giving gifts and sweets to them is not enough and we must also give them equal and enough love and respect.
MAM
Dettol launches new emotional campaign for Antiseptic Liquid
Heartfelt film celebrates mother’s instinct with the tagline “Nothing protects like Mom & Dettol.”
MUMBAI: Dettol has found the perfect formula for its latest campaign, a generous mix of maternal love and antiseptic care that’s sure to tug at every Indian heartstring. The iconic germ protection brand has rolled out a touching new campaign for Dettol Antiseptic Liquid built around the universal truth of a mother’s instinctive care. The film brings to life the simple yet powerful idea: “Nothing protects like Mom & Dettol.”
Set against the lively chaos of a shaadi ka ghar, the story follows a young boy who hurts himself but puts on a brave face to hide his pain. The moment he reaches his mother, she instinctively senses something is wrong. As she gently tends to his wound with Dettol Antiseptic Liquid, his guard drops, leading to a tender role reversal where the child ends up comforting his mother. The film ends with the poignant line, “Apnon ki suraksha ka mazboot sahara.”
The campaign reinforces Dettol’s timeless place in Indian homes as a reassuring companion in moments of vulnerability. It was conceptualised and written by Prasoon Joshi
, with an original track composed by Vishal Khurana K, sung by Javed Ali, and lyrics by Prasoon Joshi. Amit Sharma directed the film.
Reckitt EVP regional director for South Asia Gaurav Jain said the campaign captures the deep emotional bond between a mother’s instinct and Dettol’s protection. “This campaign encapsulates that delicate, human truth, a mother senses hurt even before it is spoken, and Dettol strengthens her ability to respond with care and confidence,” he noted.
Prasoon Joshi added, “When a child is hurt, the first instinct is to reach for their mother, their ultimate safe space. And in that moment, the mother turns to Dettol, something she trusts to protect what matters most.”
As the flagship product in the Dettol portfolio, the Antiseptic Liquid continues to offer unmatched protection for cuts and wounds, standing shoulder to shoulder with mothers through life’s small scrapes and bigger worries.
In a world full of flashy advertisements, Dettol has quietly reminded us once again that the strongest protection often comes wrapped in the simplest, most heartfelt moments, the kind only a mother and a trusted bottle of Dettol can provide.
