Diwali ad films
a pun infused guide to the hit that sweet marketing spot
‘Tis the season for A/B tests, SM campaigns and crunching those numbers. As Diwali preparations intensify, bustling markets in Delhi and across India are gearing up for a festive shopping spree expected to generate a whopping turnover of Rs 4.25 trillion across India. Delhi alone is projected to contribute Rs 75,000 crore (source). The facts are simple and clear – people love spending on Diwali. From a new dinner set to a new real estate – sab kuch bikta hai.
Safe to say, it’s a good time to bring out the big guns if you want to optimize the boom of the hour. While there’s a lot of information out there making rounds like soan papdi on how your ad film can hit those numbers, there are a few which hit the spot differently. How can you ensure that your ad film has it? Here are 5 things that will set your Diwali ad film apart from the ROW and center it around sentimental value.
1. make it about an insightful cause:
With the literacy rate at an all time high of 76.32% (source), there is now more than there ever was before, an opportunity to tap into the deep emotional intelligence of the population. Make it about something more than just a singular festival or a singular ritual, talk about a cause that directly or indirectly connects to your brand and makes it personal, and you’re sure to be remembered way after the diya pots are tucked away into a storage box.
Take Cadbury, for example:
2. make it inclusive and diverse:
Diwali being all about getting together to share a moment, it’s a great opportunity to show your brand’s inclusivity value. Make the story about odd duos that one wouldn’t imagine together, find a commonality between generations and tie in a narrative or just create many different stories and connect them through a common sentiment, and you are sure to strum at the strings of the heart like that first bite into a moti-choor ladoo.
This HP ad showcased an engaging story while tying it together beautifully with the Diwali vibe:
3. peachy, not preachy:
While talking about a sentimental cause, it’s very easy to hop over the sensitive-strong brand line and tread into the dreaded lecture land. Diwali is an intense time as it is, keep your message light hearted yet impactful, and definitely double check the tone so as to not make people feel overwhelmed with your narrative. We want people to get the message second-handedly, something that creates an impact upon introspection. This would mean avoiding direct messaging and preferring to layer your narrative as would a baklava.
This ad by Sabhyata talks about big changes that can be made without making explosive noise:
4. sugar-coat it:
A reason why a festival like Diwali exists is so that we don’t take ourselves so seriously for a while. Diwali is the time when you forget differences and make an effort to get together, even with those who have graced you with their nok-jhok – and you do that by eating and serving copious amounts of sugar coated sweets. Make that your inspiration! Messaging that’s slightly sugarcoated, while may not work otherwise, works very well during Diwali season and lets you leverage on that relatability factor and the communal mindset of the season without being cringy.
This khatti meethi V Guard ad captures the Diwali spirit beautifully:
5. less is more is more:
Everyone wants to cash in on the hot minute marketing of Diwali, so making your film short and chashni will take you far. You could also make your story such that it is adaptable to a short and long format, both, without loss of essence. Such a tactful approach will optimize your resources and increase platform adaptability.
Short and mindful, this ad by Starbucks personifies the term ‘Glocal’:
Here’s a great example of an ad film by HP done a few years ago that checks all the boxes, and while it’s a long one – can easily be adapted to fit needs of SM campaigns through minor edits:
Diwali is a great time for marketing as well as exploring and experimenting with creative ways to engage consumers. By keeping sentiment your core value, your ad film too can be an absolute pataka. Happy Diwali!
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