Ganesh Chaturthi in India isn’t just a festival, it’s an emotion. Streets come alive with colour, homes are filled with laughter, and everywhere you look, there’s a sense of togetherness. But in recent years, the celebration has spilled over into another corner of our lives: social media. And brands, always eager to be part of the joy, pulled out some of their most creative ideas this season. From fries doubling up as blessings to billboards that looked like they stepped out of a dream, here’s how brands celebrated Ganpati Bappa with their own special flair.
McDonald’s probably wins the quirky crown with their idea of giving Bappa a set of golden french fries for teeth. With the caption “Celebrate bappa with smiles, fries and festive vibes,” they found a way to take something as everyday as fries and turn it into a symbol of festive cheer. It was cheeky, unexpected, and exactly the kind of creativity that makes people pause and smile while scrolling.
Then came Domino’s India, tugging at every sweet tooth. They imagined a choco lava cake modak, yes, a molten chocolate centre wrapped in modak goodness. The catch? It wasn’t real, not yet at least. Their caption, “Not on the app (till now). Want it?” was playful enough to get fans dreaming of a day when this dessert might actually hit their menu. It was clever marketing disguised as festive fun, and it worked beautifully.
Mother Dairy added a touch of humour to devotion by showing Ganesh ji and his Mushak sitting in front of a fridge brimming with ice creams. The line, “bhog itna royal ki ganpati ji bhi maange more-yaa,” was both witty and endearing. The sight of Bappa reaching out for ice cream instead of the usual laddus or modaks gave the campaign a modern twist while still keeping the festive essence intact.
Goibibo looked at the festival through the lens of wanderlust. Their post showed a road shaped like Ganesha’s trunk with the tagline, “bag pack karo and get on the road more-yaaa!” It was a gentle nudge to think of journeys as a form of celebration too. By blending the spirit of travel with the essence of the festival, they redefined what festive escape could mean in today’s world.
Vijay Sales added a dose of warmth with their campaign. They showed two kids sitting in front of Ganpati, enjoying modaks, while someone captured the moment on a phone camera. Their message, “here is to a festival full of frame worthy mischief and modaks,” perfectly tied their technology-first identity with the feeling of family and festivity. It felt genuine, like a memory you’d actually want to frame and keep forever.
Croma, on the other hand, went a little geeky but in the most delightful way. They looked at the frequency chart of the famous “Jai Dev Jai Dev” aarti and pointed out how the sound spiked when the chorus reached its peak. By tying soundwaves to spirituality, they managed to celebrate the goosebump moments of the aarti while staying true to their brand’s tech-driven DNA. It was subtle, clever, and deeply festive all at once.
MakeMyTrip chose the simplicity of nature over grand concepts. Their post featured a landscape shaped like Ganesha’s trunk, accompanied by the line, “Who needs filters when nature drops a festive edit?” It was a poetic reminder that sometimes divinity lies in the everyday world around us, waiting to be seen. In tying travel with festivity, they gave their audience a chance to see Ganesh Chaturthi in a more expansive, universal way.
Fevicol, a brand that has made its mark by owning every cultural moment with humour and wit, didn’t disappoint. Their creative showed people standing together as the Ganesh idol passed by, with the line “ganpati aala re, sabko jod daala re.” True to their identity, they once again played on their famous “sticking together” idea, but this time wrapped in festive unity. It was simple, powerful, and effortlessly memorable.
And finally, Hocco Ice Cream turned heads with sheer innovation. They didn’t just launch a modak ice cream, they brought the experience to life with 3D billboards that showed Lord Ganesha opening a fridge as fog rolled out. It was one of those campaigns that blurred the lines between advertising and spectacle, leaving people amazed both online and on the streets. A true festive showstopper.
What all of these campaigns showed is that festivals in India are more than rituals, they’re opportunities for creativity, storytelling, and connection. Each brand, in its own unique way, tapped into the joy and magic of Ganesh Chaturthi, reminding us that devotion can be celebrated with fries, ice cream, soundwaves, or even a dream of chocolate-filled modaks. The festival of Bappa has always been about welcoming joy into our lives, and this year, brands made sure that joy showed up on our feeds too.
