What do legacy brands have that D2C brands don’t? Kantar’s Soumya Mohanty explains

New Delhi: In a virtual event, Kantar announced India’s most creative and effective ads from 2024. While Legacy brands swept the list, D2C and emerging brands, which had made some gains in previous editions, were largely absent.

Unlike the previous year’s list, where several culturally rich narratives stood out, 2024’s winners leaned more toward conventional formats, with no regionally or culturally intense ads making the final cut. 

Horlicks, ENO, Protinex, GoodKnight, and Taj Mahal tea were recognised for their storytelling that connected with audiences and drove business results.

Soumya Mohanty, Managing Director & Chief Client Officer, South Asia, Insights Division at Kantar, said, “Legacy brands tend to have a culture of taking consumer feedback. They take feedback and develop their communication. They have consistency. We do take into consideration D2C ads, but their ads change a lot. Sometimes they do well, sometimes not. They are not consistent. The culture of testing and taking consumer feedback is not there. That is a challenge. D2C brands know that. They are seeing ups and downs. It requires a lot of resilience and consistency, which legacy brands have.”

Mohanty pointed out that brands like Meesho and Licious had made the cut in previous years, but this year’s data showed a different trend. Kantar tested 1,350 ads in India in 2024. Based on consumer feedback and benchmarked against decades of historical data, the agency arrived at this year’s winners. Notably, no ads with regionally specific narratives made the cut this year, a stark contrast to 2023’s list, which included more regionally nuanced storytelling.

Team Kantar said, “There were many that came in, but these were the best amongst the best. We just had fewer standout ads to start with, and amongst those, we have our winners. Last year, we had more winners, but this time the pool was smaller and hence, regular Hindi ads made the cut and regional ones skipped the mark.”

Mohanty reiterated, “This is based on consumer feedback. Over 28 years, we have been consistently testing ads, and we have a huge database, and we keep on comparing the ads with the database. And that is the benchmark, and it's completely based on consumer feedback.”

The winners 

Hindustan Unilever: Horlicks & Taj Mahal

Hindustan Unilever dominated both TV and digital, winning with FCB’s Horlicks “School Ready” TV ad and Ogilvy’s digital Taj Mahal Kona campaign, blending tradition with modernity.

Godrej: GoodKnight LV Power Cut campaign

Meanwhile, Godrej Consumer Products’ GoodKnight LV Power Cut campaign on TV was honoured for creatively addressing daily life challenges through relatable storytelling, developed in collaboration with agency Godrej Lightbox.

Eno

The ENO 3 in 1 “Sangeet” TV spot, created by Ogilvy, stood out for its rich festive cultural insight.

Protinex

Protinex redefined strength and family values with its “Strength apne liye, apno ke liye” TV ad, celebrated for breaking stereotypes. It was also created by Ogilvy.

Commenting on this year’s winners, Mohanty said, “As we celebrate five years of the Creative Effectiveness Awards in India, it’s clear that creative evaluation has shifted from a checkpoint to a true growth driver. With content tailored for varied platforms and audiences, Kantar LINK helps brands test and optimise creative across formats – from TVCs and digital films to influencer collaborations. While influencer content drives short-term attention and sales, its full potential emerges when crafted with precision. Powered by the world’s largest creative intelligence database that’s built on consumer-tested ads, analytics, and decades of insight, LINK enables marketers to move from guesswork to great work. This year’s winning campaigns from Danone, Hindustan Unilever, Haleon, and Godrej show exactly that – how culturally rooted, emotionally resonant storytelling drives real business impact.”

To mark five years of the Kantar Creative Effectiveness Awards in India, Kantar has introduced a new insight framework built on a key truth: Culture is the context, creativity the catalyst, and impact the outcome. 

A deep dive into India’s most resonant campaigns revealed that while formats and trends evolve, emotional and culturally rooted storytelling remains timeless. The best ads tap into everyday moments, be it festival rituals, family quirks, or nostalgic idioms, and elevate them with powerful execution through music, humour, casting, and regionally relevant cues.

Speaking to a multilingual India through culturally anchored narratives drives deeper engagement. Influencers also emerged as impact multipliers, with content delivering 2.2x better skip times and higher brand salience. The big idea: great storytelling doesn’t create culture; it listens to it and serves it with heart and flavour.

Kantar: Influencer content holds eyeballs longer

Kantar’s 2025 report also showed the growing importance of influencer content in capturing and holding audience attention. Compared to traditional branded ads, influencer videos tend to engage viewers for longer, with an average skip time of 17.8 seconds, more than double that of branded content (7.9 seconds). 

It also delivered a 1.4x higher visibility duration. But when it comes to brand awareness and message association, traditional digital ads still outperform. Influencer content fared better in the lower funnel, boosting brand favourability, purchase intent, and brand attributes.

Drawing from a pool of over 12,000 creatives tested worldwide in 2024, including 1,350 from India, the awards identify campaigns that blend emotional resonance, cultural authenticity, and creative flair. India’s report highlighted over 200 standout ads that captivated diverse audiences across multiple languages, regions, and categories.

Prasanna Kumar, Head of Creative Domain, Insights Division, added, “To turn resonance into results, brands need more than instinct. That’s where Kantar LINK comes in, bringing the voice of the consumer, the ultimate stakeholder, into the creative process. It’s how we combine cultural insight with evidence and transform storytelling into effectiveness. It is not just about validating the creative idea but about developing an understanding of the finer execution elements that are crucial in amplifying impact.”