Bingo! brings Indian ghosts back to life with ‘Desi Bhoot Bachao’

New Delhi: Bingo! Mad Angles, the ITC-owned snack brand, has launched a satirical Halloween campaign titled ‘Desi Bhoot Bachao’ (We’ll Fear Our Own Desi Ghosts), created by Tonic Worldwide. The tongue-in-cheek initiative playfully comments on how Western horror themes have increasingly overshadowed Indian folklore and ghost stories.

The campaign unfolds through a spoof news special, featuring frustrated citizens, a perplexed news anchor, and a group of forgotten Indian ghosts protesting for their rightful place in popular culture. 

The visuals alternate between mock protest footage and exaggerated newsroom debates, employing handheld camerawork, comic reactions, and humorous sound design to heighten the absurdity.

The brand’s signature irreverence drives the film’s message, that Indian audiences, while embracing Western traditions like Halloween, often overlook their own spooky legends. By bringing back local spirits in a humorous format, the campaign spotlights the cultural quirks and narrative richness of India’s horror folklore.

Speaking about the campaign, Sudish Balan, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Tonic Worldwide, said, “We’ve reached a point where Halloween parties in India have more Draculas than Dayans. With Desi Bhoot Bachao, we wanted to haunt that thought... quite literally. Bingo! has always celebrated the madness in our culture, and this time we’re just reminding everyone that our own bhoots have more character, more chaos, and way more masala than their videsi cousins. If we’re going to get scared, it better be by something that speaks our language not in subtitles.”

Watch the campaign films:

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