Hit or Miss: The week in ads

This week's advertising output reflects an industry that is increasingly fluent in the languages of the internet without abandoning the emotional registers it has always leaned on.

Brands tapped into Gen Z slang and creator economy vernacular, as Flipkart did with its GRWM-driven fashion sale, while others reached back into collective memory with Zepto's "Nani Ka Ghar" turning childhood summer nostalgia into a brand activation, and Aashirvaad reframing a household phrase around protein and everyday strength. Sunil Grover performed in a qawwali sketch for footwear, Swiggy's Toing arrived in a wedding baraat, and Canon argued that printing is, in fact, a creative act. Health and purpose-led storytelling held its own, too, with Pee Safe and Medtronic both choosing emotional clarity over product specification.

Across categories, the strongest work this week shared one quality: an instinct for cultural texture that made the brand feel like it belonged in the moment rather than merely sponsoring it.

Flipkart - “GRWM GRWM Fashion Sale”

Flipkart has launched its “GRWM GRWM Fashion Sale” campaign, tapping into the popular social media phrase “Get Ready With Me” to connect with Gen Z and young fashion-focused consumers. The campaign positions Flipkart Fashion as a destination for trend-led shopping by blending influencer-style storytelling, internet culture, and everyday dressing moments into a youth-centric narrative. Through energetic visuals and digital-first communication, the films highlight affordable fashion choices across categories while reflecting how shopping today is closely tied to self-expression and online identity. By building the campaign around a familiar creator economy phrase, Flipkart aims to make its fashion sale feel culturally relevant and socially shareable rather than purely transactional.

Pee Safe - “Play In Comfort”

Pee Safe marked Menstrual Hygiene Day with its #PlayInComfort initiative featuring Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana, aiming to encourage women to prioritise comfort and openness around menstrual health. The campaign promotes the brand’s Comfort Range, including products like period panties, ultra-thin pads, night pads, and panty liners, while challenging the idea that discomfort during periods should simply be tolerated. Through digital films and awareness-driven storytelling, the initiative positions comfort, confidence, and unrestricted participation in everyday life (including sports and physical activity) as essential parts of menstrual well-being, while continuing Pee Safe’s broader push to normalise conversations around intimate hygiene in India.

Tanishq - “A Win For You. A Win For India”

Tanishq’s latest campaign featuring Sachin Tendulkar focuses on building trust and transparency around gold exchange while reframing the process as both a personal and national value proposition. The campaign highlights how Indian households collectively hold massive amounts of unused gold even as the country remains heavily dependent on imports. By encouraging consumers to exchange old jewellery for new designs through a transparent evaluation process, Tanishq positions gold exchange as a way to renew family legacies while contributing to a more self-reliant India. Tendulkar’s image of trust and credibility strengthens the campaign’s emotional and cultural resonance.

Asian Sports - “Soleful Mushaira”

Asian Footwears’ latest digital campaign featuring Sunil Grover transforms a footwear ad into a theatrical qawwali comedy sketch built around comfort and relatability. Set during a fictional “Qawwali Night,” the film uses exaggerated humour and a clever “no shoe-throwing” gag to suggest that people wearing the brand’s shoes would never part with them because they are too comfortable. Instead of relying on conventional product demos, the campaign leans into internet-style entertainment, cultural references, and Grover’s comic timing to connect with Gen-Z audiences. By prioritising humour and shareability over hard-selling, the campaign positions Asian Footwears as a youthful, culturally aware lifestyle brand.

Toing - “Shoo-Shaa”

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Toing, Swiggy’s affordable food delivery platform, has launched its first digital brand film to reinforce its ‘lowest price guarantee’ positioning. Built around the theme “Shoo-Shaa,” the campaign uses an exaggerated wedding baraat-style delivery spectacle to humorously highlight that customers don’t need to pay extra charges for food delivery. Targeted at Gen Z consumers and young professionals, the film promotes zero platform fees, zero packaging charges, and menu prices that match or undercut restaurant dine-in rates. Conceptualised by Swiggy’s in-house team, the campaign uses chaos, comedy, and internet-friendly storytelling to position Toing as a more value-conscious alternative in the competitive food delivery space.

Zepto - “Nani Ka Ghar”

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Zepto’s “Nani Ka Ghar” campaign turns childhood summer nostalgia into an immersive brand experience inspired by Indian holidays spent at grandparents’ homes. Created with brands like Alpenliebe, Britannia, Hocco, and Sweet Karam Coffee, the activation recreated familiar memories through candy shops, ice cream carts, board games, photo corners, and traditional snacks. Rather than focusing on delivery convenience, Zepto positioned itself within a larger cultural emotion shared across generations. The campaign reflects how modern brands are increasingly using nostalgia not just as communication, but as a physical, participatory experience that consumers can emotionally step back into and relive together.

The House of Abhinandan Lodha - “The Sarayu”

The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL) has launched a new campaign for its Ayodhya-based project, The Sarayu, featuring actor Ranbir Kapoor. The campaign blends themes of faith, legacy, and modern development while positioning Ayodhya as both a spiritual and investment destination. Kapoor, who has also invested in the project, appears as the face of the campaign to reinforce its emotional and cultural appeal. The films highlight The Sarayu’s location near key landmarks, lifestyle amenities, and residential offerings, while presenting the project as part of Ayodhya’s larger transformation into a globally significant cultural and urban hub.

Canon - “Print Out Loud”

Canon India has launched its new “Print Out Loud” campaign to reposition printing as a medium of creativity, self-expression, and cultural relevance rather than just a functional task. Conceptualised by Havas Creative India, the campaign highlights how younger audiences are increasingly embracing physical creativity through journaling, scrapbooking, DIY projects, posters, and customised keepsakes in an otherwise digital-first world. Moving away from spec-driven printer advertising, the film focuses on the emotional and tangible value of printed expression across homes, classrooms, workplaces, and small businesses. With a youthful tone inspired by internet culture, Canon aims to make printing feel contemporary, personal, and creatively empowering again.

Farmley - “Date Bites”

Farmley has launched a new digital campaign for its premium “Date Bites” range featuring actor Aparshakti Khurana, using humour to position the product as a mindful yet indulgent dessert option. Built around the thought “The Dessert That Loves You Back,” the film is set on a flight where Khurana mistakenly assumes a co-passenger is starstruck by him, only to discover she is actually excited about the Date Bites canister he is carrying. The campaign blends comedy with the growing consumer demand for healthier snacking alternatives, while helping Farmley strengthen its presence in the mindful snacking and functional foods category across digital, OTT, and social platforms.

Wonder Cement - “Farq Nazar Aayega”

Wonder Cement has launched its new “Fark Nazar Aayega” campaign featuring Ranbir Kapoor in a humour-led, exaggerated avatar described as a “force of nature.” Created by The Womb and directed by Amit Sharma, the IPL 2026 campaign moves away from traditional cement advertising filled with stress tests and infrastructure visuals. Instead, the films place Kapoor in absurd, chaotic situations while Wonder Cement’s walls remain calm, strong, and unaffected, turning durability into the punchline. By blending entertainment with product messaging, the campaign aims to give Wonder Cement a younger, more culturally distinctive identity in the crowded home-building advertising space.

Medtronic - “Sorry Dadu”

Medtronic India has launched its Parkinson’s awareness campaign, “Say Yes to a Better Tomorrow,” to encourage more empathetic and everyday conversations around the neurological condition. Developed with Popkorn Creative Agency, the campaign centres on a film titled “Sorry Dadu,” which explores the emotional bond between a grandfather living with Parkinson’s and his grandson. Rather than focusing only on clinical realities, the film highlights how the disease affects family life, independence, and emotional relationships. Through relatable storytelling, the initiative aims to build awareness, empathy, and understanding around Parkinson’s while reinforcing the importance of timely treatment, support, and improved quality of life for patients and caregivers.

Birla Opus Paints - “Main Bhi Opus”

Birla Opus Paints has appointed actor Sreeleela as its new brand ambassador, expanding its ongoing “Main Bhi…” campaign and strengthening its positioning as a modern, consumer-focused paint brand. The new films, featuring Sreeleela alongside Lillete Dubey and Sheeba Chaddha, use humour and everyday situations in spaces like malls and metro stations to highlight product benefits such as stain protection and scratch-resistant finishes. Built around the idea that strong product performance naturally drives word-of-mouth endorsement, the campaign aims to make consumers feel like active advocates for the brand while deepening Birla Opus Paints’ cultural relevance among younger audiences.

BGMI - “Toxic wala Yash kab aayega?”

BGMI has launched a new campaign integrating the universe of Yash’s upcoming film Toxic into the game as part of its 4.4 update, further blurring the line between gaming, cinema, and fandom culture. Designed as a two-phase collaboration, the campaign introduces themed in-game rewards like the Toxic Daddy Trenchcoat, parachutes, avatars, and voice packs in Hindi and Kannada, allowing players to actively participate in the film’s world rather than just watch it. By turning a movie promotion into an interactive gaming experience, BGMI positions itself as a cultural entertainment platform while deepening engagement with India’s young, fandom-driven audience.

Aashirvaad - “Kya Kha Ke Aaya Hai?”

Aashirvaad’s new campaign, “Kya Kha Ke Aaya Hai?”, turns a familiar Indian phrase into a cultural cue around protein and everyday strength. Built for Aashirvaad Atta with High Protein, the IPL-led campaign reframes roti as an accessible source of nutrition rather than positioning protein as something limited to supplements or gym culture. Through humour-driven films set around cricket and daily life, the campaign connects moments of extraordinary performance to simple food habits at home. By rooting the idea in a widely recognised expression, Aashirvaad smartly transforms everyday language into a memorable brand device while pushing protein awareness into mainstream household conversations.

Dixcy Scott - “Chaddi Mein AI”

Dixcy Scott’s new summer campaign, “Underwear Mein AI,” created by StevePriya, flips the usual men’s innerwear advertising formula by focusing on product benefit rather than celebrity swagger. Built around the brand’s Air Max Fabric technology, the campaign cleverly reinterprets the overused term “AI” as “Air Inside,” linking it directly to breathable comfort for summer. Instead of relying on exaggerated masculinity or glamour, the film uses humour and cultural relevance to create a memorable product-first narrative. The campaign stands out because the idea is inseparable from the product feature itself, helping Dixcy Scott build a more ownable and distinctive brand identity in a cluttered category.