Best ads of the fortnight: BharatMatrimony plays it fair, Sabhyata salutes women in power

October being Diwali month had brands cranking out festive campaigns. Among the sea of indistinguishable ads with cliched ideas and mawkish storylines, we had the pleasure of picking out some truly memorable ones. In this fortnightly review of the best ads released between October 16 and 31, we bring you our pick of the most entertaining and thought-provoking campaigns of the season.

Bharat Matrimony

Making a Karwa Chauth ad is a balancing act for brands today. They may have to tackle angry internet hordes who may accuse them either of offending religious sentiments or promoting "regressive" practices. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. That's why Bharat Matrimony's execution of its recent Karwa Chauth ad needs all the plaudits it can get. The ad film ‘Let Feelings Shine’ brings in an aspect of gender equality while staying true to the spirit of the festival. The film, conceptualised by Wondrlab, shows a couple observing a fast for each other. The husband, a pugilist insists on observing the fast against his wife's wishes. He has a national trial the day after and fasting would drain him of his energy. He refuses to eat until his wife does. Out of love for him, she decides to break her fast early so that he could follow suit. 

HP World Stores

To highlight the spirit of giving and compassion this Diwali, HP India has launched a short film “Thodi Si Jagah Bana Lo." The campaign film conceptualized by Simple Creative sends home a strong message of supporting traditional artisans and local businesses. The film emphasizes the unwavering importance of local artisans, serving as a reminder of their resilience over the years.

Sabhyata

Possibly the most talked-about ad this festive season is the Diwali ad from Sabhyata. Featuring actresses Sheeba Chaddha and Ayesha Kaduskar, the ad is centred on female leaderships. The older woman soothes the frayed nerves of a young woman who has arrived for an interview. Mistaking her for another clerk at the office, Kaduskar's character unwittingly lets the older woman played by Chaddha know that she is pregnant. To her surprise, it was the CEO and the little chit-chat they had before the supposed interview was the real deal. She gets the job and Diwali is made! The ad, while widely appreciated for addressing a problem affecting working women, also got its fair share of criticisms. But all in all, the ad went viral, creating an avenue for a healthy exchange of ideas on the internet.

Vi

A young female police officer walks into the station only to be greeted by her male colleagues, some of them much older than her, standing up to salute her. The voiceover for the ad states that this is the only way they expect men to "raise their hand" in front of a woman, an obvious reference to violence against women. The ad was released for the T20 Cricket World Cup season to showcase Vi's Jobs & Education offering, a one-stop solution for the Bharat Youth to find appropriate jobs. The ad has been conceptualised by Ogilvy.