Diwali 2026: How brands are putting fresh spins on familiar festive narratives

Diwali advertising has long drawn on familiar themes of family, togetherness, gifting and celebrations. This year, brands have taken these ideas in different directions, building campaigns around childhood memories, relationships, everyday gestures and the small traditions that make the festival special.

While some have used storytelling to revisit familiar family dynamics, others have extended the idea of celebration to people and moments often overlooked. Here are 10 brands that brought different perspectives to their Diwali campaigns this year.

Amazon India

Amazon India's '#DeliverTheLove' campaign revisited childhood memories through the story of a young man trying to reconnect with his elder siblings. The film follows Bittu, who recalls how his elder brother and sister would send him to fetch a bottle while they lit rockets during Diwali.

Now living apart, Bittu sends his siblings empty glass bottles through Amazon, accompanied by handwritten notes recalling their shared childhood moments. The unusual gifts prompt his siblings to revisit those memories, eventually bringing them together for a Diwali reunion. The campaign places the emphasis on shared experiences and the value of being present for loved ones.

Zomato

Zomato's Diwali campaign featuring Saif Ali Khan takes a playful look at the tradition of festive gifting. The film follows Saif reacting to conventional Diwali hampers containing everyday items such as towels, bedsheets, soaps and crockery with an unenthusiastic 'WOW'. His reaction changes when a delivery partner arrives with a hamper of festive treats from Zomato. Conceptualised in-house, the campaign makes a case for bringing mithai, desserts and other food offerings back into Diwali hampers. Through the initiative, customers can order curated hampers from select restaurant partners on the Zomato app, spanning mithai, assorted, dessert and chocolate options.

Nikon India

Nikon India brought the creator community into its Diwali communication with a campaign film featuring the Nikon ZR. An extension of its 'The Creator's Cut' platform, the film follows a family of creators documenting their celebrations through their individual perspectives. As the family comes together for Diwali, their different approaches to capturing the festivities become part of a shared celebration. The campaign also highlights the Nikon ZR's video capabilities, including internal 6K RAW recording, RED colour workflows and 32-bit float audio. Alongside the film, the brand introduced Diwali Dhamaka Deals, offering discounts, bundled accessories, finance benefits and cashback on select cameras.

Hershey's Kisses

Hershey's Kisses brought a playful take on romance and family gatherings with its latest Diwali campaign. Conceptualised by TBWA\Lintas, the digital film follows a couple attempting to steal a quiet moment together during a Diwali party, only to be interrupted repeatedly by family members. The film builds on the brand's 'Giving Kisses Is Hard' platform, which previously explored the hesitation around expressing affection openly. This time, the brand places the idea in a familiar festive setting, using the interruptions and chaos of a family gathering to create a humorous take on finding moments of romance amid celebrations.  

Nutella

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Nutella, the hazelnut cocoa spread from Ferrero, brought actor and brand endorser Ranveer Singh into its Diwali campaign, using his playful personality to highlight the role of food and festive favourites in bringing families together. The film follows Ranveer as he prepares his home for Diwali, adjusting cushions and fixing lights before the fragrance of mogra flowers reminds him of his grandmother and childhood memories. The mood changes when he reaches the dining table and discovers that Nutella is missing from the festive spread. In his characteristic playful style, he places the jar at the head of the table, prompting everyone to declare, "Diwali tastes better with Nutella". The campaign builds on the association between festive food, nostalgia and family traditions, while positioning the spread as part of the Diwali table.

Swiggy

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Swiggy took a curiosity-led approach to its Diwali marketing by temporarily changing its social media identity to 'Sweety', leaving consumers guessing about the reason behind the change. The brand extended the mystery beyond Instagram, with its associated accounts and employees joining the conversation through references to the new identity. The intrigue eventually moved to print, with a Hindustan Times advertisement carrying the message 'Oh Sweety, ghar aana' alongside the line 'Sweets you love, on time'. The campaign's reveal connected the 'Sweety' identity to Swiggy's Diwali sweets offering, bringing together social media curiosity, print visibility and festive commerce. Rather than leading with a conventional product promotion, the brand used an element of surprise to draw attention to its festive proposition.

Haldiram's

Haldiram's marked Diwali with 'Khushiyan Baatne Se Khushiyan Milti Hain', a campaign built around the idea that happiness grows when it is shared. The brand rolled out three short-format reels that explore the emotions and relationships behind festive gifting. Moving beyond the material value of presents, the campaign focuses on the sentiment attached to a gift, whether it is an expression of gratitude, appreciation or affection. Through everyday moments and familiar relationships, Haldiram's positions as a way of acknowledging people and making them feel valued during the festive season.

Godrej Properties

Godrej Properties' 'Khushiyon Ki Chaabi, Mera Godrej Ghar' campaign explores the different meanings people attach to happiness at home. Conceptualised by AA World, the digital-first campaign uses a series of everyday family moments to position the home as a setting for relationships, milestones and shared experiences. The film moves through different Diwali situations, from a mother and daughter getting dressed for the festival and families preparing delicacies to a young man returning from college and a couple celebrating their first Diwali in a new home. It brings together different stages of life and relationships under the larger thought that happiness takes many forms, but finds a place at home.

Zebronics

Zebronics' 'Yahi Toh Hai Zebronics Wali Diwali' campaign uses the setting of a modern Indian joint family to showcase how technology becomes part of festive celebrations. The 30-second film follows the arrival of family members and the exchange of gifts, moving through moments of setting up a new television, listening to music, dancing, karaoke and gaming. The campaign features the brand's range of televisions, speakers, soundbars, microphones, headphones, projectors and gaming peripherals. Rather than presenting technology only as a gifting choice, the film places its products within the everyday experiences that bring families together during Diwali.

Shalimar Paints

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Shalimar Paints' 'Diwali Ka Har Rang Khoobsurat' campaign captures the festival through a child's perspective. The AI-powered film, part of the brand's larger 'Har Rang Khoobsurat' platform, brings together the colours and familiar rituals associated with Diwali. From decorating homes and making rangolis to lighting diyas, exchanging sweets and seeking blessings from elders, the film moves through moments that shape the celebrations. It also captures neighbourhood interactions and the excitement of fireworks, using the child's point of view to explore the different colours and experiences that make up the festival.

921 Basmati Rice

921 Basmati Rice, from the house of GRM Foods, has taken an everyday food-led approach to its Diwali campaign, 'Aaj Diwali Hai Kya?' The film explores how an ordinary meal can take on a festive character, even when there is no occasion to celebrate. Set across four households, the campaign follows different reactions to elaborate meals, including biryani, Zeera Rice, Veg Biryani, Matar-Kaju Pulav and Rajma-Chawal. As the characters taste the food, their surroundings transform with diyas and festive lights. Through the campaign, the brand connects the taste and aroma of rice with the idea that a festive experience need not be limited to a particular day.

Asian Paints

Asian Paints' 'Taiyyari Shuru, Tyohaar Shuru' campaign focuses on the preparations that lead up to Diwali. The musical ad film captures the familiar activity around getting homes ready for the festival, from refreshing walls with Asian Paints and decorating spaces to the conversations and excitement that accompany preparations. Through its catchy tune and playful lyrics, the campaign positions these preparations as an important part of the festive experience. Rather than focusing only on the day of Diwali, the brand turns its attention to the anticipation and shared activities that signal the beginning of the celebrations.