Hit or Miss: The week in ads

This week, brands showed up with everything from high-octane celebrity cameos to oddly emotional storytelling, trying hard to elbow their way into your feed

by Soumya Gawri
Published: Sep 13, 2025 9:22 AM | 4 min read

This week in advertising felt like scrolling through a chaotic group chat, some messages hit just right, others made you wonder why you even opened them. Brands showed up with everything from high-octane celebrity cameos to oddly emotional storytelling, trying hard to elbow their way into your feed. A few managed to stick, snappy, clever, and on-point. The rest? Let’s just say they left us with the digital equivalent of an awkward silence. That’s the thing about ads: they’re equal parts gamble and spectacle, a blend of strategy and sheer hope that audiences will care. But in the end, only a handful rise above the noise while others drown in it. So, as always, we’re here to sort through the shiny hits and the forgettable misses, so you don’t have to. Let’s dive into the week’s roll call of winners, almosts, and what-were-they-thinking moments.

Kusha Kapila for Tyaani Jewellery

Tyaani Jewellery ’s ad “Forces of Tyaani,” starring Kusha Kapila, promotes jewellery as a tool of self-expression rather than mere accessory. Kapila’s bold, relatable persona connects with younger audiences, blending high fashion with authenticity. It’s a hit for shifting norms, celebrating individuality and inclusivity while making jewellery personal, not just ornamental.

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Muthoot Finance Sunheri Soch

Muthoot Finance’s latest Sunheri Soch / “Garv Ka Parv” ad with Amitabh Bachchan and others portrays Deepika from Haryana moving from a small tiffin-service into a thriving cloud kitchen, funded via a gold loan. It’s a hit ad because it combines real-aspiration storytelling with AI production, major star power, multi-platform reach and it reassures audiences about the usefulness of gold loans in achieving dreams.

Caratlane Durga Pujo 2025

CaratLane’s Mayer Aashirbaad Durga Puja 2025 ad is a three-minute film by BBH India & director Bauddhayan Mukherji, following a budding romance through Pujo rituals, Alpona, Pushpanjali, Dhunuchi Naach, Sindoor Khela, from Shashti to Doshomi. It uses Rabindra Sangeet + folk music, golden hues and aristocratic Pujo aesthetics to culminate in a proposal during Sindoor Khela. It’s a hit ad because it blends tradition with romance, triggers emotional nostalgia, keeps cultural rituals authentic, and positions CaratLane’s proposal ring not as a product pitch but a natural outcome of the story.

Apple IPhone 17 launch ad

Apple’s iPhone 17 ad touts major upgrades. Air model, sleeker design, improved chips, new colors, but many consumers criticize the design (camera island, unusual dual-tone back) as unattractive, Android-like. The ad heavily emphasizes AI features, but reviewers say Apple’s “Apple Intelligence” still doesn’t deliver what competitors like Google with Pixel are offering. Also, choice of colours for Pro models has disappointed: no traditional black or more popular tones.

Zepto Clinique Ad

Zepto and Clinique’s “Hydration Delivered in 10 Minutes” ad highlights Clinique Moisture Surge now available via Zepto’s quick-commerce. The sleek film connects premium skincare with everyday urgency, pitching instant hydration as both aspirational and accessible. It’s a hit ad because it fuses luxury with speed, captures a clear urban consumer need, and delivers a crisp, memorable promise.

Swiggy 'Quick India Movement'

Swiggy Instamart released its Quick India Movement 2025 ad starring Ajay Devgn, recreating his iconic Phool Aur Kaante split, this time on everyday items like speakers and water jugs. Tagline: “Jo mujhe chahiye, abhi chahiye”. Huge festive sale runs Sept 19-28, with 50-90% discounts across categories and bank/UPI deals.
It hits because nostalgia + humour + urgency combine to promise speed (quick commerce), stirring excitement ahead of the festive season.

Zomato 'One Billion Believers'

The ad features Jasprit Bumrah reflecting on belief, grit and ambition, from early struggles to big moments, weaving in his identity as a cricketer who believed when many didn’t. It emphasizes belief, community, “you are not alone,” and positions Zomato as backing everyone’s journey. It’s a hit ad because it taps emotional aspiration, authenticity, star credibility; it inspires, builds an inclusive “we’re in this together” mood; and it elevates the brand from just food delivery to enabler of dreams.