From mouth watering delicacies to trendy footwear and booming speakers, various brands operating in the categories of food and beverage, footwear, music, smart wearables, etc. have crafted creative campaigns, each painting a vivid story that encapsulates the spirit of the festival.
In all these years, while we have seen top advertisers including surf Excel capitalising on the moment marketing bandwagon with the rollout of ad campaigns on Holi, this year too, not much has been different as no brand wants to miss the joy of celebratory times.
Here’s a look at some of the brand films that caught our eye on the occasion:
Pepsi
These days, everything seems to be about AI, and capitalising on this very thought, Pepsi, the cola brand from the house of PepsiCo has ingeniously incorporated the theme of artificial intelligence into its latest digital film on Holi.
The 2 minute, 9 second film humorously proposes changing Pepsi to ‘peps.ai’ and highlights how AI makes creating products easier. Similar to ‘peps.ai’ the brand also took references from the festival of colours itself and used terms like ‘mith.ai’, ‘thand.ai’ and more to score big on the relatability factor.
The film also includes Pepsi’s iconic tagline ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ which was revived after more than two decades on the brand’s 125th anniversary, this year.
Parle G
Parle G’s new Holi ad portrays the tale of a young couple in Varanasi, experiencing their first Holi away from home. It highlights the close-knit bonds in Indian society, where friends and neighbours become a part of the extended family, especially on such occasions.
The campaign highlights the strong message, “Parle G Genius wohi, jo auron ke khushi mein paye apni khushi”.
Fortune Foods
Adani Wilmar’s new campaign for Fortune Foods, titled ‘Holi ke rang, Fortune ke sang,’ celebrates the lively Holi spirit, connecting strongly with Hindi-speaking audiences.
The 70-second ad portrays the festive joy of Holi, moving from vibrant street celebrations to kitchen scenes, where traditional Holi delicacies like gujiya are prepared using Fortune products, highlighting their importance in Indian households’ festivities.
McCain
McCain, a frozen food brand, also showcased the importance of coming together for the celebration of Holi and emphasised how a plate of frozen food which gets ready in just a few minutes can make the fun experience of the festivity all the more rejoicing in its 15-second ad.
Haldiram’s
Haldiram’s joined in the Holi celebrations with an ad film titled “Khulke Khilao Holi.” The ad features a young boy’s journey during the festival as he shares Haldiram’s snacks with others, including his crush, amid the colourful chaos.
The campaign also highlights the much talked and longed about experience of seizing the opportunity of Holi to save oneself from all kins just to be smeared by one’s partner, in this case, the crush. In addition, the protagonist also saves the last snack for her.
Noise
Noise has collaborated with photographer Idris Ahmed to showcase the festival’s essence on its smartwatches with special watch faces. This collaboration falls under the ‘Noise of India’ initiative.
As per the brand, the campaign is not just about marking occasions but also honoring the moments that unite India as a diverse tapestry of cultures, traditions, and emotions and celebrating every heartbeat that echoes the pulse of the nation.
Crocs
Crocs’ Holi campaign, featuring Vedang Raina and Rasha Thadani, embraces the #ComeAsYouAre spirit, celebrating both individuality and the collective joy of Holi. The film showcases Crocs as the perfect accessory for Holi, emphasising its functionality and style amid the festive cheer.
View this post on Instagram
Coke Studio Bharat
Based on a traditional bhajan, ‘Holi Re Rasiya’, Coke Studio Bharat revamped the melody, blending lively beats with traditional folk instruments to craft the ideal festive soundtrack.
With a lineup of creators like Maithili Thakur, Saloni Gaur, Sonal Devraj, and others, the track not only brings festive cheer to a whole new level but also features the iconic Coca Cola bottle in certain sections of the video.
House of McDowell’s Soda
The McDowell’s Soda Holi campaign features a remix of the Bollywood classic ‘Rang barse’, sung by King, to set the festive mood. The film portrays the brand’s essence of ‘Yaaron Waali Baat’ by showcasing the power of friendship and a sense of belonging.
Similar to Coka Cola Studio, the film by Saregama Music also blends the visuals of McDowell’s soda bottles in the video itself.
Sony India
Sony India launched a Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) campaign for Holi, featuring their popular party speaker, the XV800, as the perfect mood enhancer, aligning with the brand’s vision.
View this post on Instagram
