Brands embrace the spirit of Durga Puja with heartfelt ad campaigns celebrating tradition and empowerment

As the vibrant festivities of Durga Puja envelop the air in India, the marketing landscape year after year has been a witness to a captivating surge of creativity and cultural resonance around the period. From the bustling streets of Kolkata to the fervor-filled corners of Delhi, brands are harnessing the essence of Navratri to craft compelling ad campaigns that resonate deeply with the spirit of the festival.

In an attempt to connect with consumers on a more emotional level, various brands have ingeniously blended tradition with innovation, weaving narratives that not only celebrate the grandeur of Durga Puja but also resonate with the values and aspirations of modern India.

Let's delve into some of the most memorable and impactful ad campaigns that have graced the advertising sphere during the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja:

Reliance Digital

Conceptualised by L&K Saatchi and Saatchi, the latest digital film for Reliance Digital, ‘Ichchepuroner Sharodeeya’, celebrates the dedication and hard work of India’s artisans and craftsmen whilst capturing the true essence of Durga Pujo- a time of togetherness, resilience, and boundless joy. 

The film explores the emotions that bind people to their traditions and the lengths to which they can go to keep these traditions alive. It reminds the viewers that the joy of celebration,  just like Pujo, is for everyone, as well as emphasises that where there is a wish, there is a way.

The Film-

Shaadi.org

Shaadi.org, the CSR arm of matchmaking platform- Shaadi.com, which has consistently championed social transformation with a strong emphasis on women's empowerment, has come up with a Durga Pujo campaign titled The Spirit of Durga this year.

Going beyond the festival’s religious significance, and embracing the symbolism of Goddess Durga, their new film celebrates the indomitable strength, resilience and beauty of every woman and highlights the importance of not being bogged down by adversity that women face all too often but instead encourages them to take inspiration from Goddess Durga, who never gave up.

Video:

Zomato

The online food ordering and delivery platform, Zomato, has launched an ad campaign on the occasion of Durga Puja to celebrate the spirit of the occasion and the magic and foods of Pandals that make Durga Puja a gastronomic delight. 

In its ad film, Zomato pays a heartfelt tribute to the essence of this sentiment- the magic and delectable cuisine of the pandals and narrates the story of someone who, despite being stuck at home, enjoys the festival's culinary delights, all thanks to Zomato. The film captures the essence of Durga Puja, where food transcends mere sustenance to become a symbol of love, unity, and tradition.

Ad film:

Swiggy

Taking a leaf out of the festival's age-old motif, Swiggy’s Durga Pujo campaign “Khushir Bahon Swiggy” is an ad film and OOH campaign conceived by Brandmovers and produced by Gotham Films that focuses on those who bring happiness to our doorstep– the Swiggy delivery partners.

Khushir Bahon Swiggy - the new digital and outdoor campaign brings forth a tale of Ma Durga's Bahons (or vehicle) congregating and discussing a new Bahon in town- which ends up in a fun chase to reveal the new Bahon as Swiggy's delivery partner.

Campaign film:

Tanishq

Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas Bangalore, Tanishq has come up with an ad campaign for Durga Pooja, which is rooted in the essence of Bengal's women and celebrates their strength, progressive thinking, unique perspective, and their ability to stand up for what they believe is right.

The brand film encompasses the aspect of how every empowered Bengali woman embodies the strength to stand by her convictions, empowers those around them, and is a source of inspiration for generations to come. It tells the story of a young girl in Bengal who draws inspiration from the strength she witnesses in the women around her.

Kalyan Jewellers

Kickstarting the Durga Pujo festivities, Kalyan Jewellers rolled out its latest ad campaign featuring Ritabhari Chakraborty to embrace the spirit of the occasion as they celebrate the strength of Maa Durga. It beautifully highlights the modern woman, who is becoming more empowered, self-dependent, resilient and inspirational, like Goddess Durga.

The ad campaign pays a tribute to women who are carving their own destinies, empowered by Maa Durga's divine blessings.

Campaign film-

Ambuja Neotia  

As Bengal tunes into the radio at the crack of dawn this Mahalaya and the horizon and the firmament turn fluffy white with clouds and kash phool, as the scent of autumn fills the air, Ambuja Neotia celebrates the onset of the auspicious Devi Pakshya with a digital film titled ‘Sristirupena’.

Directed by Samik Roy Choudhury and written by Debalok Roy, the film features Tathagata Mukherjee and Amrita Chattopadhyay in a cinematic venture that explores the journey of an artist who rediscovers his creative passion through the enchanting allure of nature.

Shoppers Stop

To make Durga Pujo celebrations special this year, Shoppers Stop has come up with Sajer Utsav, an ad campaign which features Ushasi Ray and acknowledges the remarkable contributions made by every person to make this celebration grand.

In addition to this, the brand has also prepped up to make Poojo special with its stores decked up like a Pujo pandal and lots of events and entertainment in stores alongside its array of exclusive and festive collections of trendy fashion wear, beauty, free makeovers, great deals and a lot more.

Campaign-

Finolex Pipes

On the auspicious occasion of Durga Pujo and Navratri, Finolex Pipes has unveiled a poignant short film that illuminates change through adoption and spotlights the vital social cause of girl child adoption, bridging hearts through a compelling story in a film crafted by Campen Factory and directed by Ripunjoy B'yum.

The film tells the story of a man welcoming a girl into his home during Durga Pujo and endearingly naming her 'Durga.' This evocative portrayal serves as a compelling message for the society, echoing Finolex Pipes Parivaar values of care, compassion and people first approach besides providing dependable and reliable solutions in the plumbing and sanitation segment.

The film:

Asian Paints

Over the years, while styles, trends, and attitudes have changed in West Bengal, one thing has remained constant—the spirit of celebration. Through these decades, Asian Paints Sharad Shamman has been an integral part of Durga Pujo celebrations since 1985. As a tribute to the dedicated people and pandals that have been part of Sharad Shamman for nearly four decades, Asian Paints has released a heartfelt TVC.

Created by Ogilvy, the TVC takes viewers through the lesser-explored alleys of festive Kolkata. It sheds light on the labours of love that ultimately culminate in the grandeur and captivating experiences of Durga Pujo. Unlike the well-known pageantry of Pujo, the TVC focuses on the preparations that build up to it which is where the true essence of the festival resides – in the anticipation and fervour of Agomoni.

TVC-

Pond’s

Launched by skincare brand, Pond’s, #DuggaDugga campaign is a celebration of the women whose hands shape the likeness of Durga, in a manner that is familiar, yet so unique. It also celebrates the beauty of those who have so far remained behind the scenes via a short series of films featuring 4 women artists who create Durga idols for Kolkata’s Pujo pandals; working tirelessly to bring out the beauty and strength through the art of sculpture.

On ground, the stories have been brought to life with a mural of Durga, created with illustrations of the 4 local sculptors behind the Durga: Upasona Chatterjee, Aditi Chakraborty, Suchana Samanta, Sumi Majumder- working away at their art. Located in Deshpriya Park in South Kolkata, the 32 x 32 ft. painting holds QR codes – each a portal to the story of the sculptors and their journey in bringing out the beauty of Ma Durga.

Series-

Croma

On the auspicious occasion of Pujo, Croma also brought the joy and excitement of Durga Pujo to every household with an aim to provide the ultimate electronics shopping experience and recognised the significance of embracing new beginnings and fulfilling dreams during this joyous occasion via its ad campaign, Festival of Dreams.

Directed by Bibartan Ghosh and produced by Useful Garbage Creations the campaign showcases the mother and daughter considering a TV upgrade for Pujo and how they end up experiencing warm hospitality at Croma.

Ad campaign-

Eveready Lighting

To leverage one of the most vibrant and spectacular festivals in the country, Durga Puja, Eveready Lighting celebrated the festive spirit through an array of innovative marketing activations across pandals in Kolkata and enhanced the joy of this season with its signature lighting products at various puja pandals by offering an illuminating experience.

In a bid to captivate the consumers and engage the young and old alike, Eveready Lighting has initiated a series of innovative marketing activations across pandals such as Golf Green Sarbojonin, Airport City Phase 2, Aikatan Club, Alipore 78 Pally, Tala Prattyay, Barrackpore Shiv Mandir Sarbojanin, and Dumdum Park Bharat Chajra Club to name a few.

Coca-Cola

In its latest ad campaign, titled, ‘Coke-er Shaathe Roj, Pujo’r Mahabhoj’, Coca-Cola dedicates the celebration of the grandeur of Pujo, with a special focus on the joy of shared meals and festivities over a delicious Coke and builds on a diverse backdrop of five days of Durga Puja celebrations, where the cities gorge on lights, love, delicacies and unlock new friendships. 

Conceptualised by Ogilvy, the campaign actively embraces and promotes art, music, and food, establishing a significant presence of Coke in cultural and culinary domains.

Campaign film-

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