Hit or Miss: The week in ads

The advertising landscape this week saw brands explore a range of storytelling approaches, from humour and technology to emotional narratives and consumer education. While some campaigns leaned on cultural associations and familiar faces, others used everyday situations to communicate product benefits and brand positioning.

Skipper Pipes turned the problem of household seepage into an unwelcome visitor through its latest campaign, while Pirelli offered a more personal narrative with a film documenting the making of its 2027 Calendar, as photographer Avani Rai revisits the work of her late father, Raghu Rai. Meanwhile, BGMI continued its playful rivalry with competing battle royale games, using humour to highlight its realistic gameplay experience.

Elsewhere, Taj Mahal Tea brought A.R. Rahman on board as its brand ambassador, Godrej Security Solutions showcased facial recognition technology for home lockers, and Canva explored the everyday possibilities of its creative tools. Google partnered with Henry Cavill for an AI-powered gaming experience, while Tata Mutual Fund used a heartwarming story to communicate the importance of investment discipline. Dabur, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of building strength from within through its Chyawanprash campaign.

Skipper Pipes - “Kaun rehta hai aapke ghar?”

Skipper Pipes has launched ‘Skipper On, Seelan Gone’, a campaign conceptualised by Dentsu Creative Isobar to highlight the problem of seepage in homes. Titled ‘Kaun Rehta Hai Aapke Ghar? Seepage Ya Skipper?’, the film personifies seepage as an unwelcome traveller moving from one corner of a house to another, drawing attention to the damage caused by damp walls.

Pirelli - “The Cal 2027”

Pirelli has released a film documenting the making of its 2027 Calendar, centred on photographer Avani Rai’s completion of an unfinished project by her late father, celebrated photographer Raghu Rai. Directed by Avani Rai and Navzar Eranee, the film follows her journey through Old Delhi, revisiting locations captured in her father’s photographs and documenting contemporary India through her own lens.

Battlegrounds Mobile India - “Cartoon Waale Games”

BGMI has launched its ‘Cartoon Waala Game’ campaign, taking a playful dig at rival battle royale games that feature cartoonish graphics. The campaign uses humour to highlight BGMI’s more realistic gameplay and visual experience, positioning it as a game for players who prefer a more immersive battle royale format. Through the film, the brand taps into gaming culture and competitive banter to reinforce its identity in India’s crowded mobile gaming market.

Taj Mahal Tea - “Hazaaron mein Ek...Wah Taj!”

Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea has appointed music composer A.R. Rahman as its brand ambassador, bringing him into its long-running ‘Wah Taj!’ campaign. The association builds on the brand’s connection with Indian music and culture, with Rahman’s musical legacy reinforcing its positioning around the appreciation of quality and craftsmanship. The partnership also marks a new chapter for the brand as it looks to strengthen its cultural relevance and connect with consumers through music.

Godrej Security Solutions - “Your Face is Key”

Godrej Security Solutions has launched ‘Your Face Is Key’, a campaign highlighting its face-recognition technology for home lockers. The film showcases how users can access their lockers through facial recognition, eliminating the need for traditional keys or passwords. Through the campaign, the brand aims to position biometric authentication as a convenient and secure way to protect valuables at home, while bringing advanced security technology into everyday household use.

Canva - “What Will You Canva Today?”

Canva has launched its North American campaign, ‘What Will You Canva Today?’, with a film titled ‘Erase Your Ex’, created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners. The film follows a woman who removes her former boyfriends from photographs using Canva’s editing tools, only to hit Undo when one of them texts that he misses her. Two accompanying films, ‘New Drink’ and ‘Promposal’, showcase other everyday uses of the platform.

Google x Android - “Mustache Protocol”

Google has partnered with actor Henry Cavill for ‘Mustache Protocol’, a 16-bit side-scrolling game built using AI tools on its Googlebook platform. Inspired by Cavill’s infamous CGI-removed moustache in Justice League, the game challenges players to stop rogue CGI artists from erasing moustaches across the planet. The campaign showcases Googlebook’s AI capabilities, including tools for building game mechanics, selecting visuals and converting voice prompts into text.

Tata Mutual Fund - “SIP Se Units Jodo, Badhte Raho”

Tata Mutual Fund has launched a new investor education film under its ‘SIP se Units Jodo. Badhte Raho.’ campaign, using a heartwarming story to highlight the importance of continuing SIP investments through market volatility. The film follows a young boy who regularly takes an elderly woman’s dog for a walk and receives a toy car each time, gradually building a collection. Even on a rainy day, he continues the routine, drawing a parallel with the discipline required to stay invested through changing market conditions.

Dabur - “Triple Action Protection”

Dabur India has launched a new campaign for Dabur Chyawanprash titled ‘Triple Action On. Rakhe Andar Se Strong’, highlighting its Ayurvedic formulation’s benefits across three levels: the body, organs and cells. Conceptualised by McCann India, the film follows a father and daughter returning home after a game of tennis and shopping, before a conversation with a neighbour shifts the focus from visible fitness to the strength built within.