For years, festive advertising in India has been about sentiment, sparkle, and stars. But Marketing Mind’s ‘The Festive Decode 2025’ shows the narrative has changed, today’s consumers want storytelling that feels human, not heavy-handed.
Among respondents, 35% said emotional ads tug at their hearts, but humor is now almost neck-and-neck, with 34.6% saying they love quirky, funny campaigns. Meanwhile, offers and discounts attract 21.1%, and celebrity-led ads just 5.8%, showing clear fatigue for traditional celebrity endorsements. The least attention-grabbing were influencer-led campaigns, at a mere 3.6%.
Nearly 57% of respondents said festive ads do influence their buying decisions, yet only when they feel authentic. 24.6% said “yes, strongly,” and 32.2% said “sometimes.” About 20.2% said they are “rarely” influenced, while 23% said “not at all.”
Where they notice these ads most has also evolved, 48.6% said social media, compared to 24.6% for TV and just 3.4% for print.
As Marketing Mind’s report notes, the festive ad that makes you smile is now the one that gets shared. Emotion remains the anchor, but humor has become the hook.
Marketing Mind’s ‘The Festive Decode 2025,’ conducted between August–October 2025, is the platform’s first data-led insight report capturing India’s evolving consumer pulse. Through 10,000+ responses, it reveals how emotion, authenticity, and humor are redefining brand storytelling, making this study a benchmark for marketers nationwide.
[Download The Festive Decode: India’s Consumer Takeaways From 2025]
