Nostalgic singalongs to sibling banter: The week in ads

Advertising this week seemed to find its rhythm in the spaces where culture, music, nostalgia and everyday quirks collide. Brands looked beyond conventional product pitches, instead borrowing from familiar songs, pop-culture personalities, regional traditions and even peculiar food habits to create work designed to feel instantly recognisable.

Music emerged as a particularly strong thread. Tata Play marked two decades of “Life Jingalala” by travelling through India’s folk traditions, while Amazon Music turned to Antakshari for its first brand campaign in the country. Elsewhere, Chaar Diwaari found himself at the centre of not one but two campaigns, teaming up with boAt and Spotify before joining Orry for Parle Monaco’s irreverent “Salty Public Party Anthem.”

Familiarity also came with different twists. Cadbury Celebrations returned to the timeless nok-jhok between siblings ahead of Raksha Bandhan, while Dabur Pudin Hara flipped Anu Malik’s famous “Aag Laga Di” into an acidity gag. Kissan found humour in India’s unapologetic ketchup obsessives, and Nothing brought together Zeenat Aman, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Seedhe Maut to make a case for originality in an increasingly replicable world. Not every campaign escaped scrutiny, either, with HK Vitals’ latest film drawing attention for its resemblance to an award-winning Japanese commercial.

Here are the campaigns that caught our attention this week:

Tata Play - “Life Jingalala”

Tata Play celebrates 20 years of "Life Jingalala" with a vibrant musical campaign created by Ogilvy India, bringing together India's diverse folk traditions. The anniversary film travels across regions including Gujarat, Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and the Awadhi heartland, using distinct languages, instruments and musical styles to reinterpret the brand's iconic "Life Jingalala" expression. Featuring an ensemble of folk artists and musicians, with an original soundtrack by Maati Baani, the campaign turns Tata Play's two-decade milestone into a celebration of India's cultural diversity, entertainment and the shared joy that has defined the brand over the years.

Amazon Music - “Hello India. Love, Amazon Music”

Amazon Music has launched its first-ever brand campaign in India, using the much-loved game of Antakshari to celebrate the country's shared relationship with music. Conceptualised by Manja and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, the film features Usha Uthup and Sonu Nigam, travelling through familiar moments where Antakshari has brought people together: from terrace gatherings during power cuts and family get-togethers to train journeys and house parties. Featuring songs across languages and generations, the campaign taps into nostalgia and collective memory to position music as a deeply communal experience, arriving two months after the launch of Amazon Music Unlimited in India.

Cadbury - “#ThisTakraarIsSweet”

Cadbury Celebrations has launched its Raksha Bandhan campaign, celebrating the playful fights, teasing, and nok-jhok that define sibling relationships. Created by Ogilvy India, the film captures the everyday chaos between siblings while showing the unconditional affection underneath, set against a reimagined rendition of the iconic "Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka." Alongside the campaign, Cadbury Celebrations has refreshed its festive gifting portfolio with redesigned packaging, new formats and options across price points. The campaign extends across television, digital, social media and retail, positioning sibling banter itself as one of the sweetest expressions of love.

hk vitals - “Skin Radiance Collagen, Skin ka Protein”

hk vitals has launched a new campaign for its drinkable collagen supplement, featuring Yami Gautam, using a quirky visual metaphor to explain how collagen supports the skin. The film depicts dozens of muscular men physically holding up Gautam’s skin, turning the invisible function of collagen into an exaggerated human support system. The execution, however, bears a striking resemblance to Japanese company Tsuruya’s 2016 “Sticking Together, No Matter What” commercial, where hundreds of people formed a human roof to demonstrate the strength of its tiles. The Japanese campaign, created by ADK Asatsu-DK, won a Silver Lion at Cannes Lions 2017.

Dabur - “Anu Malik Ne Aag Bujha Di”

Dabur Pudin Hara has launched a digital-first campaign featuring Anu Malik, cleverly flipping his popular catchphrase "Aag Laga Di" to communicate relief from acidity and heartburn. Created by Schbang, the film initially keeps the brand under wraps, using Malik's familiar phrase to build curiosity before revealing Pudin Hara as the solution. It then transitions into a playful jingle that turns the jalan of acidity into thandak, using a recognisable pop-culture reference and humour to strengthen brand recall around post-meal acidity relief.

Spotify x boAt - “Presenting Do Diwaari”

As part of boAt’s collaboration with Spotify Premium, the brand has rolled out a campaign featuring Chaar Diwaari, tapping into the alternative artist’s distinctive, unconventional persona. The ad places Chaar Diwaari at the centre of boAt’s music-first communication, using his quirky creative style to connect with younger listeners and India’s growing independent music culture. The campaign promotes the partnership under which buyers of select boAt audio products can access four months of Spotify Premium, bringing together the hardware and streaming experience while positioning music discovery as a key part of the brand’s appeal.

Kissan Ketchup - “Chatt Kar Jao”

Kissan Ketchup's "Chatt Kar Jao" campaign celebrates the wonderfully irrational food habits of people who believe almost anything tastes better with ketchup. Centred around the idea of the "Ketchup Paglu," the ad draws from a familiar cultural truth: everyone either knows someone who puts ketchup on unexpected foods or is that person themselves. Using humour and relatable food quirks, the campaign turns an everyday condiment habit into a recognisable personality trait, encouraging audiences to see themselves in the film and share their own unusual ketchup combinations.

Nothing - “START WITH NOTHING”

Nothing has launched its new brand campaign, “Start with Nothing,” featuring Zeenat Aman, Siddhant Chaturvedi and hip-hop duo Seedhe Maut to celebrate originality and those who challenge convention. Set in a retro-futuristic world, the film follows an advanced technological system attempting to decode what makes the three personalities distinctive by analysing their careers. While technology can recreate appearances and study achievements, it ultimately fails to reproduce instinct, conviction and originality. Drawing parallels between their journeys and Nothing’s own design philosophy, the campaign positions individuality and the courage to start differently as qualities that cannot simply be replicated by technology.

Parle - “The Salty Public Party Anthem”

Parle Monaco has turned its signature salty taste into an attitude with the "Salty Public Party Anthem," bringing together Orry and alternative musician Chaar Diwaari. The music-led campaign combines snacking, internet culture and the duo's distinctive personalities to give "salty" a playful meaning beyond flavour. Built around "Monaco Khao. Sada Salty Raho," the anthem celebrates a cheeky, unapologetic and eccentric attitude through catchy music and high-energy visuals. By bringing Orry's pop-culture presence together with Chaar Diwaari's unconventional musical style, Monaco transforms its long-standing salty identity into a contemporary personality aimed at younger audiences.