It’s that time of the year again — brands are putting on their creative hats, and vying to come up with the best ideas for Diwali. This year, hundreds of companies released their ads films, all touching upon different aspects of the festival of lights, and conveying their own brand’s message in the process. Here are some of the best Diwali ads from 2018.
The best Diwali ads from 2018
1.Vodafone: Vodafone took on a much-criticized aspect of phone usage — the propensity of people to stay stuck to their phones when in social gatherings — and urged people to connect in real life. “This Diwali, look up and come together for real,” said Vodafone. It’s not every day that a company urges people to use less of its own product, and made Vodafone’s film stand out in a pretty strong field of ads.
2. Peter England: Indian cricketers playfully getting the better of their foreign counterparts is a pretty common trope in Indian ads — remember the Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne and Carl Hooper Pepsi commercial? Peter England does a reprise in 2018, with MS Dhoni getting the better of his CSK teammates Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo, this time over a box of laddoos.
3. Amazon Prime: Amazon Prime’s 2018 Diwali ad ties in well with its brand — it’s centered around the idea of storytelling, and has a heartwarming twist at the end to boot.
4. Cadbury: Cadbury didn’t just create an ad — it went ahead and installed solar panels in a village in Rajasthan that’s famous for making Diwali lamps, but doesn’t have regular electricity. A CSR activity, a nice Diwali message and a pretty slick film — Cadbury’s Diwali ad checked all the right boxes this year.
5. Big Bazaar: Big Bazaar went ahead and brought together two quintessential aspects of growing up in India — train journeys and Diwali celebrations. By getting strangers to celebrate Diwali together in a train, Big Bazaar tugged at all the right heartstrings, and threw in a catchy soundtrack as well.
6. Dainik Bhaskar: Dainik Bhaskar put across an important social message in its Diwali ad — Diwali is not only about giving material objects, but also giving respect.
7. Hewlett Packard: But HP stole the show this year. Its Diwali ad has been going viral on social media, and already has had articles and pieces written about it. The ad ties in with HP’s product line, and creates a Diwali message that as endearing as it’s timeless.