Every year, Diwali brings with it an explosion of lights, ads, emotion—and brand campaigns trying their best to “stand out” in a sea of sameness.
Some make you feel something real. Some make you wonder if they even tried.
This year, two campaigns stayed with me—but for very different reasons.
The Best Diwali Campaign: Birla Opus | “Har Rang Hai Diwali”
No grand homes. No choreographed reunions. No cliché-laden voiceovers.
- Senior Parents preparing for their children to join them on Diwali, lighting their space with more love than lights
- Skips the typical dramatic reunion towards the end.
- This campaign reflects imperfect, real Diwali — homes scattered, families apart, rituals changed. It’s less about “perfection” or “the typical definition of happiness” — It showed the kind of Diwali many people actually live.
This campaign chose authenticity over perfection. It embraced change, not societal norms. And that’s what made it powerful.
At a time when everyone is trying to show more, Birla Opus chose to feel more and be real.
The Worst Diwali Campaign: Reliance Foundation Hospital | “Real Meaning of Dhanteras”
This one broke my heart a little—because the intention was beautiful, but the execution felt like it was done in a rush.
The idea? To remind us that Dhanteras isn’t just about buying gold — it’s also about honouring Lord Dhanvantari, the deity of medicine and healing. I personally was unaware of this story and felt it had so much depth. But then came:
- Stiff, disconnected scripting
- Robotic narration that stripped away all emotional resonance (like, why are they singing!)
- A tone that felt more like an insurance voiceover than a tribute
It felt like someone had a great thought in a brainstorm… and then no one fought hard enough to bring it to life. And that’s the tragedy:
When a message matters, storytelling matters more.
Why Am I Writing This?
Apart from my constant love with advertisements, I am writing not to critique but to remind myself—and you—that intention is not enough.
In Diwali campaigns (or any campaign, really), what we mean to say doesn’t matter if it doesn’t land. You can have the deepest insight. But if your craft can’t carry it — the audience won’t either.
Let’s not just wish people light. Let’s show up with more clarity about how we’re creating it — in our messaging, our craft, our choices.
Because in the flood of “Happy Diwalis”, it’s the quietly honest pieces that make the most noise in the heart.
#ThinkingOutLoud #VentureLift #DiwaliMarketing #BrandStorytelling #MarketingWithSoul #CreativeReview
