Hit or Miss: The week in ads

From home décor to haircare, this week's advertising landscape reflected the full range of creative ambition. Brands leaned into cultural touchstones, celebrity partnerships, and slice-of-life humour to cut through the clutter, with campaigns spanning Ugadi traditions, Qawwali face-offs, and fictional medical conditions.

As the week draws to a close, here are the ads that caught our eye and held it. Whether built around social validation, self-earned rest, or the quiet power of a well-timed dhamki, these films made their case memorably.


India Gate - “Classic Biryani Masala”
India Gate’s campaign for its Classic Biryani Masala, conceptualised by Ogilvy India, uses humour to spotlight a core product truth: authentic taste. The film plays on exaggerated situations around biryani preparation, underlining how getting the flavour right is often the biggest challenge. By dramatising this tension in a light-hearted way, the campaign positions the masala as a shortcut to authenticity without compromising on taste.



Kajaria - “Log Toh Poochenge Hi”
Kajaria’s new campaign featuring Ranveer Singh and Rashmika Mandanna reframes home design as a source of social validation and pride. Set in a picturesque home hosted by an army couple, the film uses subtle moments of admiration, from guests noticing pathways to bath fittings, to show how well-designed spaces naturally spark conversation.



Parle-G - “Ugadi”
Parle-G’s Ugadi campaign uses the Bevu Bella ritual, a mix of jaggery (sweet) and neem (bitter), as a metaphor to tell a simple, emotionally grounded story about life’s ups and downs. The film follows two sisters, where a moment of disappointment turns into a lesson on embracing both joy and setbacks, mirroring the festival’s core philosophy.



Flipkart - “Ghar sajaiye with unique products”
Flipkart’s latest campaign pivots from utility-led shopping to discovery-led experiences, positioning the platform as a space where consumers stumble upon trends rather than search for them. Built around two TVCs, the films capture warm, everyday moments where choices are shaped by family and community interactions. From a newlywed getting styled by her in-laws to neighbours exchanging décor ideas, the narratives highlight how shopping is often social, spontaneous, and emotionally influenced.



Lenovo - “Pixel Deficiency”
Lenovo’s latest campaign uses a clever fictional condition to dramatise a very real problem: poor display quality. The films show people struggling in everyday scenarios (work, gaming, or design) because of unclear visuals and inaccurate colours, framing it as if they suffer from a “pixel deficiency.”



Crocs - “Play Hard. Rest Easy.”
Crocs’ latest campaign featuring KL Rahul shifts the sports endorsement narrative away from on-field intensity to focus on the off-duty side of athletes. The film offers a candid look at Rahul’s life beyond cricket, highlighting moments of relaxation, routine, and personal downtime, positioning Crocs as the footwear of choice when performance pressure is off. 

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Lakmé - “I Earned It”
Lakmé’s latest campaign, featuring Aneet Padda, introduces the 9to5 Hya Beach Edit by reframing beauty around the balance between hustle and downtime. The film captures a modern working woman seamlessly moving from work calls to beach plans, reinforcing the idea that taking time off is something you’ve earned, not something to feel guilty about. 

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Asian Paints - “Aisi Waisi Waterproofing Nahi”
Asian Paints’ new campaign for Damp Proof waterproofing solutions tackles a low-interest category by turning it into cultural entertainment. Featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla, the film uses a Qawwali-style musical face-off to dramatise a key insight: not all waterproofing solutions are equally reliable. Through humour and everyday homeowner problems, the campaign simplifies a technical proposition into a memorable narrative.



Tata Capital - “Stop Blaming Her”
Tata Capital’s #StopBlamingHer campaign turns the spotlight on a deeply ingrained social behaviour: the casual, reflexive blaming of women in everyday conversations. The film strings together slice-of-life moments across offices, roads, and homes, where remarks like “must be a woman driving” or “she must’ve caused it” surface almost unconsciously.



foundit - “Boss Aaj Kal”
foundit’s latest brand film featuring Jasprit Bumrah builds on the idea that access to opportunities shifts workplace power dynamics. Using humour and relatable office situations, the film shows how employees behave differently when they know they have options. Bumrah’s presence, fresh off his T20 World Cup success, acts as a metaphor for this shift: just as he can change a match in one delivery, the right opportunity can change a professional’s standing instantly.



UNIQLO - “AIRism”
UNIQLO India has onboarded Jasprit Bumrah as its brand endorser, launching a campaign rooted in the brand’s LifeWear philosophy: simplicity, quality, and everyday comfort. The 30-second film steps away from on-field intensity to show Bumrah in quiet, off-duty moments, positioning the AIRism Oversized T-shirt as a natural part of daily life. Creatively, the narrative draws a subtle parallel between Bumrah’s journey and clothing that seamlessly fits into routines over time.



Myntra - “Do fashion as YOU like it”
Myntra’s latest campaign featuring Kiara Advani challenges the idea of prescriptive fashion, encouraging consumers to dress on their own terms. Built as a series of short films, the campaign places characters in everyday situations where they face judgment or unsolicited opinions about their style, only to reclaim their choices with confidence.



Wakefit - “Dhamki Squad”
Wakefit’s latest campaign taps into a universal Indian childhood memory of mothers’ bedtime threats to make sleep relevant and culturally relatable. The film features moms auditioning by delivering iconic lines of emotional blackmail, turning these familiar “dhamkis” into a humorous narrative around sleep discipline. 

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Pilgrim - “Nani Ka Secret”
Pilgrim’s “Nani Ka Secret” campaign featuring Rashmika Mandanna blends traditional Indian haircare wisdom with modern science to promote its Advanced Hair Growth Serum. The film taps into the familiar trope of grandmothers’ beauty remedies, reframing them through a contemporary lens where age-old ingredients meet clinically backed formulations.



Aqualogica - Fun Outside, Solid Inside
Aqualogica’s latest campaign, featuring Apoorva Mukhija (@the.rebel.kid), positions sunscreen as a Gen Z lifestyle essential rather than a skincare chore. Set in a playful poolside exchange with an older “aunty” figure, the film uses humour to highlight a key product truth of lightweight feel with strong protection, drawing a parallel between Gen Z’s easygoing attitude and the sunscreen’s formulation.