Hit or Miss: The week in ads

Surf Excel’s child stops mid-race because something matters more than the finish line. CRED has Rakhi Sawant untangle the mess of loan stacking. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli mimic the signature celebrations of KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill ahead of the 2027 World Cup. It was a week with range, spanning emotion, comedy, nostalgia and civic pride, and all the better for it.

With the festive season warming up, brands leaned on familiar faces and well-loved platforms. Imperial Blue revived ‘Men Will Be Men’, while Indriya and Taneira found festive feeling in love and in the last look in the mirror. Star power ran through the films for Bark Out Loud, Zouk, Eggoz and vivo. The Dharavi anthem by Prasoon Joshi and Shankar Mahadevan, launched on Gandhi Jayanti, looked to the future, while Nikon spoke directly to India’s video-first creators.

The funnier films still had a point to make. CRED’s humour carried a warning about debt, while Imperial Blue’s irreverence let storytelling lead and the product follow. The RO-KO film closes with ‘Desh ka sawaal hai, maza toh aayega.’ For this list, the second half will do. Here are the 12 ads that earned their place this week:

Surf Excel - “Race”

Surf Excel has unveiled ‘Race’, a new film under its long-running ‘Daag Achhe Hain’ platform, exploring how children can sometimes see the world differently from the way adults teach them to. The film uses a children’s race as a metaphor for the pressure to compete, perform and constantly chase the finish line. When one child encounters a situation that calls for attention, they choose to stop rather than continue racing, putting empathy ahead of winning.

CRED - “avoid loan stacking ft. Rakhi Sawant”

CRED has launched a new campaign featuring Rakhi Sawant to highlight the dangers of loan stacking, the practice of taking multiple loans without adequately accounting for existing repayment obligations. The film uses Sawant’s unpredictable persona and humour to explain how borrowing from several lenders can create a cycle of debt, with repayments piling up and making financial management increasingly difficult.

Star Sports - “The RO-KO show rolls on”

JioStar has unveiled a new promotional film for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, bringing together Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for a light-hearted conversation about their journey with Team India and the road ahead. Conceptualised by JioStar, the film showcases the duo’s playful side as they reminisce about their time with the team and recreate the signature celebrations of KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and captain Shubman Gill. The conversation then shifts to the upcoming World Cup, which the two are expected to approach as their final campaign in the tournament, closing with the line, “Desh ka sawaal hai, maza toh aayega.”

Imperial Blue - “Because, Men Will Be Men”

Imperial Blue has revived its iconic ‘Men Will Be Men’ platform with a new campaign titled ‘Because, Men Will Be Men’, drawing on the brand’s signature irreverent humour to spotlight the familiar quirks and awkward behaviour of men in everyday situations. The campaign uses situational comedy and relatable social interactions to build on the platform’s legacy, keeping the focus on humorous storytelling rather than conventional product-led advertising.

Adani Group - “Dharavi Ka Kal Bula Raha Hai”

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) has unveiled ‘Dharavi Ka Kal Bula Raha Hai’, an anthem celebrating Dharavi's people, enterprise, and aspirations while looking ahead to its future. Launched on Gandhi Jayanti by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the anthem has been written by Prasoon Joshi and composed and sung by Shankar Mahadevan.

Indriya - “Jewellery that celebrates the festival of Love”

Indriya, Aditya Birla Jewellery, has launched a Diwali campaign featuring Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth, placing love and togetherness at the centre of its festive storytelling. The campaign moves beyond jewellery as a gifting choice to explore the emotional connections that make celebrations meaningful, using the couple to bring alive the warmth of shared moments during Diwali.

Bark Out Loud - “Effortlessly Premium”

Bark Out Loud by Vivaldis has launched a new campaign featuring actor Kalki Koechlin, positioning its premium pet-care range around the idea that quality care for pets should feel effortless rather than complicated. The campaign uses Koechlin’s association with thoughtful, contemporary living to highlight the role of science-backed products in everyday pet parenting.

Taneira - “Aap se hi poora, har Shringaar”

Taneira has unveiled a festive campaign titled ‘Aap se hi poora, har Shringaar’, celebrating the emotional significance of the final glance in the mirror before stepping out for a special occasion. The film captures the quiet moment when a woman pauses to admire herself in a saree, reflecting on the memories, relationships and emotions woven into the garment.

Zouk - “Always Holding Your Hand”

Zouk has launched a new campaign featuring brand ambassador Kriti Sanon, created in partnership with The Script Room, titled ‘Always Holding Your Hand’. The campaign celebrates the emotional connection people share with their everyday bags, positioning them as companions that stay by their side through life’s different moments. Featuring Sanon, the film uses relatable storytelling to highlight how a bag is more than an accessory, carrying the essentials and memories that accompany people through their daily journeys.

Eggoz - “Turn Your Day Sunny Side Up”

Eggoz has launched its ‘Sunny Side Up’ campaign featuring actor Boman Irani as its new brand ambassador, with the campaign conceptualised by ANC. Set in a slow-moving office, the film sees Irani play a boss who returns from lunch and triggers a sudden burst of energy and activity among employees, creating what the brand calls the “Eggoz effect”. The film then reveals the source of the transformation through a spread of Eggoz preparations, including bhurji, omelettes and sunny-side-ups, positioning eggs as more than just fuel but a source of energy, flavour and everyday joy.

vivo - “Make Every Moment Cinematic”

vivo has unveiled a new campaign for the vivo V80 featuring brand ambassadors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, using a journey home to highlight the smartphone’s imaging capabilities. The film follows the couple as they travel together, capturing moments along the way and turning an everyday journey into an opportunity to showcase the device’s camera features.

Nikon - “Creator's Cut”

Nikon India has launched ‘The Creator’s Cut’, a 360-degree brand campaign highlighting its growing focus on India’s video-first creator economy. The campaign explores the evolving needs of creators across categories such as food, fitness and festive content, positioning Nikon’s cameras and video capabilities as tools for creators looking to turn everyday moments into engaging visual stories.