Every brand needs a story that strikes a chord with its audience. There are so many exciting marketing campaigns and commercials that not only help brands sell their products but also capture hearts through heartwarming stories. The TalkOver brings you some of our favorite campaigns of all time, told through our team members’ perspectives.
However, we’ll let YOU be the judge of it. Read on and tell us which is the better campaign according to you.
This time on the TalkOver, we’re gushing over these Diwali campaigns that have gotten everyone talking. On Team Cadbury is Jo, who picks Cadbury’s Diwali campaign while Kunika, on Team Coca-cola, picks Coca-cola’s Diwali campaign.
Let’s go!
Cadbury – Not just a Cadbury Ad
Cadbury Celebrations | Not Just A Cadbury Ad
Cadbury has always been a household name around the Diwali time and so have their ads. Their ads are relatable and connect with their audience instantly. This campaign however, connects with their audience on a whole other level! The Not just a Cadbury Ad campaign, starring the legendary actor– Shah Rukh Khan, (to me, that’s already a win) was released in Diwali, 2021 and conceptualized and executed in collaboration with Rephrase.ai, Ogilvy and Wavemaker.
The ad follows Shah Rukh Khan talking himself up with all the new things he’s bought for Diwali from the local shops around him and urging the audience to do the same. What’s special about this ad is that it was simply a template for any small business to use. With AI, businesses could have their products advertised by Shah Rukh Khan! Again, that’s a win in my books. But we have numbers to back this up!
The technology and thought behind this campaign was so unique and never done before, that these results seem inevitable–
- 105k users logged on to the NotJustACadburyAd.com to create their own ads
- 139k different versions of the ad were created and shared through social media
There isn’t a person in the country who wouldn’t have felt the repercussions of the pandemic. The Cadbury campaign resonates with its audience because of its honest intention to genuinely do some good. Be it the consumer or a business owner, the Cadbury campaign gives a glimmer of hope that drives a post-pandemic Diwali.
Not Just A Cadbury Ad, like its name, was aimed to look out not just for the identity of the brand but also for the many other businesses that went unidentified and unappreciated after the pandemic. The ads pushed for a good cause by helping lift up local shops, and is overall a well thought out campaign.
Coca-cola – Milke hi manegi Diwali
Coca-cola has always been synonymous with greeting guests in Indian households, more so on festive occasions like Diwali gettogethers, visits, parties, etc. (which usually happens when friends and family meet, in person). Coca-cola’s latest Diwali Campaign, ups this a notch by encouraging people to not just ‘greet’ but also ‘meet’ to celebrate Diwali.
The best part of the campaign is the one-of-a-kind tech-driven packaging update which PROMISES/guarantees to bring people closer, much like depicted in the commercial! A special Bluetooth-enabled locked cap, that is programmed to open only in the presence of the sender’s mobile phone. A smart idea symbolizing an emotional promise made to meet in person.
The Campaign ad follows a young man working alone late at night, responding to various text greetings with happy emojis while looking pretty exhausted in reality. This is when he happens to see a Coca-Cola bottle attached to a red ribbon. He grabs a hold and follows the ribbon until he arrives at a Diwali party, reunited with his family to celebrate Diwali.
This is also specially impactful given this is the first Diwali after the pandemic when people can freely travel and meet their family without any fear of infection, breaking the two-year long period of ‘virtual greetings’.
The campaign worked because it pulled on just the right strings of nostalgia and friendship. The audience feels the need to go a little over the top just to make meeting, after a whole pandemic, that much more special.
Overall, Coca-cola’s #MilkeManayengeDiwali 360-Campaign spoke for the whole Indian demographic celebrating Diwali this year in the physical presence of their families and loved ones. As promised by the creative masterminds behind the campaign, the ad provided a positive nudge for people to come closer together WITH a chilled coke, of course!
In closing, both campaigns hit home in very different ways. While Coca-cola manages to rekindle friendships and bonds in the post-pandemic era, Cadbury manages to bring hope to businesses that struggled. Both campaigns brilliantly make use of tech in positive and innovative ways, pulling at your heartstrings. It’s tough to decide which brand did it better, so let’s just say Shah Rukh wins.
Which brand do you think aced their Diwali campaign? Are you on Team Coca-cola, Team Cadbury or Team Shah Rukh like us?