Hit or Miss: The week in ads

This week’s advertising landscape brings together familiar faces, nostalgic callbacks and fresh takes on everyday consumer behaviour. Swiggy Dineout puts Ravi Kishan at the centre of its restaurant festival, turning his viral dialogues into a discount-led campaign, while Samsung takes a playful swipe at Apple’s anticipated entry into the foldable smartphone market. Bajaj revisits an iconic chapter in its advertising history, bringing back the two nurses from its 2001 Pulsar launch ad for a new sequel. 

Meanwhile, Stable Money uses a heartwarming story to make fixed deposits more relatable, and Flipkart builds anticipation for The Big Billion Days with a campaign centred on luck and unexpected possibilities.

Elsewhere, brands are exploring the emotional connections that shape everyday experiences. Adidas celebrates the people who support athletes on their journeys to the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para-Games, while Rivaah by Tanishq spotlights the many stories behind modern Indian weddings. boAt brings Ravi Kishan into its AI-powered audio campaign, Swiggy Instamart humorously challenges consumers’ familiar shopping habits, and Hershey’s finds moments of comfort amid life’s everyday chaos. Nescafé, meanwhile, teams up with Spotify for a rap anthem celebrating Gen Z’s ambition and hustle. From brand rivalries and nostalgia to humour, music and emotional storytelling, here are the campaigns that caught our attention this week.

Swiggy - “Great Indian Ravi Festival”

Swiggy Dineout has reimagined its flagship Great Indian Restaurant Festival (GIRF) as ‘The Great Indian Ravi Festival’, with actor Ravi Kishan at the centre of the campaign. Tapping into Kishan’s recent social media popularity and viral dialogues, the campaign builds its dining-discount proposition around the line “Discount Followsss My Brothaaaar.” The campaign film features Kishan in a larger-than-life avatar, incorporating internet-favourite references such as “Jaldi the Late” and “Home from Work” into the dining-out narrative. The festival spans more than 84 cities, with participating restaurants including Punjab Grill, One 8 Commune and Mainland China.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdRJRxtgyeD/?stkn=djg3am03ZzkwYmt1

Samsung - “Switching, Ft. Tim Cook from Palmerston North”

Samsung launched a playful campaign that takes aim at Apple’s anticipated entry into the foldable smartphone market, using a Tim Cook lookalike to parody the company’s product-launch style. The film features a character introduced as “Tim Cook from Palmerston North” and uses the line “The future is here” to draw attention to Samsung’s established presence in the foldable category. By borrowing the familiar tone and presentation of Apple announcements, the campaign turns the rivalry between the two technology brands into a humorous commentary on the foldable smartphone landscape.

https://youtube.com/shorts/zP5VQUEm6og?si=4HvJFxGr4AU9l20-

Stable Money - “Badhte Jao”

Stable Money has launched ‘Badhte Jao’, a national brand campaign that puts fixed deposits (FDs) at the centre of a story about steady growth and financial milestones. Set in Sambhar, Rajasthan, the film introduces Faujdaar, a warm, dependable young man whom a little girl nicknames “FD” after they meet at a railway crossing. As the story unfolds, he keeps growing taller, creating a visual metaphor for how an FD grows over time. The campaign was conceptualised by Fluid, with lyrics by Amitosh Nagpal, and directed by Vijay Sawant of Hungry Films.

https://youtu.be/fIk6UOeemf8

Flipkart - “Yahaan Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai!”

Flipkart has unveiled ‘Yahan Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai’ for The Big Billion Days 2026, with the campaign conceptualised by Leo Burnett India. The campaign uses the idea that an ordinary day can take an unexpected turn, building a playful narrative around luck and the possibilities of the annual sale. The campaign film features Rohit Sharma, alongside celebrities including Sreeleela, while Flipkart has also extended the idea through celebrity-led social content. Directed by Bob and produced by Good Morning Films, the campaign brings the sale’s promise of deals and surprises into everyday situations, encouraging shoppers to look forward to the unexpected during Big Billion Days.

https://youtu.be/AatGYlKbSKs

Bajaj - “The Original, Now More Daring”

Bajaj Auto has brought back the two nurses from its iconic 2001 Pulsar launch ad in a new sequel, conceptualised by Ogilvy, to introduce the all-new Pulsar 150. The film revisits the original commercial’s memorable setup, with the nurses once again approaching something hidden beneath a white sheet. The familiar moment sparks a sense of déjà vu before revealing the new motorcycle, connecting Pulsar’s advertising legacy with its latest offering. The campaign also marks a milestone for the brand, which has crossed 20 million motorcycles sold globally, while reinforcing its long-standing ‘Definitely Daring’ positioning.

https://youtu.be/FHaWjcspUIA?si=15PgjK1UWtClWG1o

Adidas - “You Got This”

Adidas has launched a new chapter of its ‘You Got This’ campaign ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para-Games, celebrating the people who support athletes as they prepare to represent India. Featuring adidas athletes Kartik Karkera, Lovlina Borgohain, Sumit Antil and Simran Sharma, the campaign brings together messages of encouragement in local languages, including Haryanvi, Hindi, Assamese and Marathi. Built around the idea that athletes carry the belief of a billion people, the film highlights how support from family, friends and communities can help them navigate pressure and stay focused on their sport. The campaign extends adidas’ ongoing ‘You Got This’ platform, which focuses on helping athletes manage pressure and compete with confidence.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdazUKcP3KB/?stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Tanishq - “One Wedding. Many Stories”

Rivaah by Tanishq has unveiled a campaign celebrating the many stories that make up a modern Indian wedding. Moving beyond a single, traditional portrayal of the occasion, the campaign highlights the diverse emotions, relationships and personal choices that shape wedding celebrations today. Through its storytelling, Rivaah positions bridal jewellery as more than an adornment, connecting it to the memories, traditions and individual expressions woven into each couple’s journey. The campaign reinforces the brand’s focus on Indian bridal jewellery while recognising how wedding customs continue to evolve across families and communities.

https://youtu.be/DpAwFdNloxY

boAt - “Intelligence Follows Ft. Ravi Kishan”

boAt has launched ‘The Best Advice’, a film for its ‘Upgrade to boAt’ campaign, featuring Ravi Kishan in multiple avatars to introduce its AI-powered CREST audio experience. The film opens with an employee struggling to answer an office question about EBITDA, prompting him to seek help from colleagues. Kishan appears as three different characters (a colleague, a Gen Z intern, and a hospitality executive), each offering confusing advice.

https://youtu.be/GsTC0tLC2n4

Swiggy Instamart - “Switch to Instamart”

Swiggy Instamart has launched a new film under its ‘Switch’ feature, encouraging consumers to move beyond familiar shopping choices and explore differentiated products at better prices. The film follows a woman reminiscing about sharing tea with her husband for nearly 25 years, before revealing a huge pile of the same namkeen she has been buying all along. An Instamart delivery partner questions her loyalty to the snack and introduces her to a palm-oil-free alternative. Using the exaggerated idea of a 25-year snack “anniversary”, the campaign humorously challenges shopping habits and encourages consumers to discover new options without prescribing what they should buy.

https://youtu.be/5vgB9fnL-QY

Hershey’s - “Life is hard, but Hershey's hai na yaar!!”

Hershey’s India has launched ‘Life Is Hard, Par Hershey’s Hai Na Yaar’, a new brand platform created by TBWA\Lintas, part of Omnicom Advertising India. The campaign is built on the idea that small moments of comfort can help make life’s everyday pressures feel lighter. Its lead film follows a protagonist whose already chaotic day gets hilariously worse with each passing moment, until Hershey’s steps in with a sweet moment of joy. Using humour and a slice-of-life narrative, the campaign positions chocolate as a simple, accessible source of comfort rather than a solution to life’s problems.

https://youtu.be/eLHLhUuY8pI