Regional creators shine bright on Dhanteras as brands connect with culture

This Dhanteras, brands are finding their festive sparkle in regional, lifestyle, and beauty creators — storytellers who blend tradition with trend. From heirloom jewellery to 10-minute gold delivery, this year’s campaigns celebrate culture, convenience, and creativity — all through the lens of relatable creators. 

From fashion and lifestyle creators sharing relatable stories to luxury brands using celebrities in short videos, Dhanteras 2025 proves that being genuine, quick to connect, and in tune with culture is key to successful festive campaigns.

Also read: Festive season sees 30-40% surge in influencer collabs

In line with this trend, Senco Gold & Diamonds leaned on regional creators to bring local authenticity to their campaigns.

Srijoni Chatterjee, a Kolkata-based fashion and lifestyle creator, gave the festival a Bengali flavour through her collaboration with featuring the Shagun and Lotus collections by Everlite, she urged followers to “bring home blessings and a little bit of self-love,” while speaking in her native language to connect deeply with her audience. 

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A post shared by Miss Chatterjee (@srijonichatterje)

In Bangalore, Shefali Upadhyaya Reddy, a yoga and wellness influencer, collaborated with Sunrise Silversmiths to showcase the joy of her Dhanteras ritual. “Getting something special for myself is a yearly ritual,” she said, while highlighting an exclusive 10% discount on first purchases. Her elegant reel blended wellness, beauty, and festivity — making silver shopping aspirational again. 

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A post shared by Shefali Upadhyaya Reddy | lifestyle creator | Bangalore (@shefali_upadhyaya)

Local entrepreneurs, too, are stepping into the influencer spotlight. MasterChef India finalist Suhasini, now a jewellery entrepreneur, encouraged followers to buy pieces that blend meaning and usability. “This year, invest in something you will actually wear — timeless pieces that carry both meaning and beauty,” she said while promoting her line on Myntra, Amazon, and Blinkit. 

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A post shared by Aruna Vijay (@aruna_vijay_masterchef)

City-based creators are also driving hyperlocal brand visibility. Jamshedpur.wala, a popular blogger from Jharkhand, collaborated with AUS Jewellers to spotlight affordable silver options. His reel showcased 1-gram to 100-gram coins, idols, and silverware — all with a 50% discount on making charges. The post seamlessly combined local language, price sensitivity, and festive excitement to connect with small-town audiences.

Tanishq’s “Dharohar” collection found its emotional heart through creator duo Poonam and Priyanka Shah, who celebrated heirloom jewellery as a bond between generations. Their reel, shot at the new Tanishq store in New Jersey, featured their mother and reflected on how family traditions are carried forward through treasured pieces. The campaign struck a chord with diaspora audiences, blending nostalgia with festive warmth. 

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A post shared by Poonam & Priyanka (@poonamandpriyanka)

Ashish Morone, EVP & Head – Brand & Retail Marketing, HDFC Bank, said their strategy never leaned heavily on finfluencers to begin with. “Most of the influencers we've collaborated with are in categories like food or travel. The idea is to engage them for end-use communication—say, encouraging people to use our credit cards or take loans,” he told e4m.

“We haven’t explored the finfluencer space much. And even when we do, we’re conscious of the responsibilities involved. Honestly, we are the experts. As one of the top banks in the country, we have the knowledge and authority when it comes to financial fundamentals. So, we don’t feel the need to rely on others to communicate those basics,” Morone added.

Also read: Festive ad rates up 10-30%, short-form content sees 25-30% rise

Celebrity Power Meets Cultural Play

This festive season, jewellery brands have also gone all out with celebrity and influencer collaborations that merge luxury with storytelling. Sonakshi Sinha shines in Swiggy Instamart’s “Asli Sona” campaign, a playful and culturally rooted film that flips the “born with a golden spoon” narrative. The ad connects Sonakshi’s persona with the Dhanteras tradition of buying gold. 

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A post shared by Instamart (@instamart)

Abhishek Shetty, CMO of Swiggy Instamart & Pvt Brands, said, “We saw shoppers treating festivals like flexible moments, sometimes planned, often spontaneous and they want the joy of a celebration without the stress of planning. So, this Dhanteras we leaned into that truth; make the ritual accessible in the moment. ‘Asli Sona’ with Sonakshi brings a playful, culturally familiar character to life while signalling a real shift, certified gold, silver and festive essentials are now something you can decide on, and have, in minutes. That’s why we partnered with trusted jewellers and leaned on our 10-minute promise to turn last-minute intent into a real, joyful purchase.”

By partnering with trusted jewellers and leaning on its 10-minute delivery promise, Instamart turned spontaneous festive intent into real, joyful purchases.

Tyaani Jewellery by Karan Johar brought together a star-studded lineup with Kusha Kapila, Jim Sarbh, and Kalki Koechlin. Their collaborative reels highlighted Tyaani’s handcrafted 22K Polki jewellery and 100% off on making charges. Each creator brought their unique tone — from Kusha’s humour to Jim’s charm and Kalki’s grace — perfectly capturing the brand’s luxury-meets-festivity essence. 

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A post shared by Tyaani Fine Jewellery (@tyaanijewellery)

Adding to the glamour, Shraddha Kapoor and lifestyle creators teamed up with Palmonas to showcase the brand’s festive collection. Her reel, shot at the Phoenix Mall, Wakad, invited followers to “turn their festive shine all the way up.” “Every gift, every glow, and every gold piece tells a story,” she shared, bringing an elegant, accessible edge to the luxury segment. 

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A post shared by PALMONAS (@palmonas_official)

Priti Rathi Gupta Founder of Lxme, a financial platform for women said, while our campaign will be amplified with a variety of influencers, we’ve specifically chosen mom and lifestyle influencers to reach a wider audience- women who are not only financially conscious but also actively use online payments. The influencer plug for this campaign is yet to be rolled out, but it will showcase women talking about the common challenges they face with the current UPI system.

The timing of this campaign is particularly apt. With the tradition of buying gold during Dhanteras and the festive season, LXME makes it easier for every woman to get gold for free just by using LXME Pay for her daily transactions. With gold prices being so steep, this adds real value to women’s everyday financial choices.

Also read: How Q-Comm is the new festive ads stronghold

Ad Rates Surge as Short-Form Content Dominates Festive Season

According to Shudeep Majumdar, Co-founder & CEO, Zefmo, beauty, fashion, food & beverage, and e-commerce are leading the festive influencer push, while BFSI and auto brands are staying selective, largely focusing on product launches and milestone events.

“We are seeing a clear preference for short-form video during the festive rush,” said Majumdar. “CPMs are climbing 25–30% in peak weeks, while CPCs have remained relatively stable, supported by sharper hooks, strong CTAs, and offer-led creatives.”

According to the Qoruz Festive Season Report 2025, influencer marketing spends are projected to cross ₹700 crore this festive cycle, with brand campaigns witnessing a 2x–3x spike between Navratri and Diwali compared to non-festive months.

Also read: Festive rush: D2C brands double spends on regional markets, CPMs up 30% across platforms

Short-Form Videos Command a Premium

Data from Zefmo reveals that short-form formats like Reels and YouTube Shorts are driving this surge, commanding 20–25% higher fees than static posts. A single short-form video with one to two stories (organic only, excluding usage and boost rights) now ranges from ₹3,000–₹15,000 for nano creators, ₹15,000–₹75,000 for micro creators, ₹75,000–₹3 lakh for mid-tier creators, ₹3–15 lakh for macro creators, and up to crores for celebrities, depending on category, timelines, and deliverables.

Adding to this, Suneil Chawla, Co-founder of Social Beat, said that creator rates have risen across the board. “On average, creators are charging 15–30% more compared to last year. The rise is being fuelled by higher brand spends and the surge in demand for festive-led content across categories,” he explained. “This increase is more pronounced among creators with over 200K followers, while nano and micro creators have seen a more modest hike.”

Providing a clearer rate snapshot, Chawla shared, “Fees vary by creator genre and campaign type, but a ballpark would be ₹2,000–₹8,000 per static post and ₹5,000–₹15,000 for a short-form video for nano creators; ₹5,000–₹25,000 per post and ₹20,000–₹80,000 per video for micro creators; and ₹1 lakh upward for macro and celebrity creators — with top names charging even up to ₹30 lakh per engagement.”