A Curtsy to the Sophisticated, Identity-Conscious Indian Consumer

SO HERE WE ARE AGAIN - bang in the midst of India's festive season - where brands collectively lose their minds and their marketing budgets in a glorious, glittering spectacle of one-upmanship. Gone are the days when slapping on a celebrity's face on a discount banner qualified as strategy. This year’s campaigns indeed show that consumers have evolved, and so have their choices.

- Reema Bhaduri

Take Ajio’s ‘Identity Without Apology’ campaign, a gutsy move with Uorfi Javed tackling trolling and LGBTQ+ representation during Diwali. That’s not just brave, but also a commercially savvy advertising campaign. Or L’Oréal’s ‘Mujh Mein Hai Diwali’ campaign, celebrating sisterhood over sindoor stereotypes. These aren't safe plays but calculated bets that Indian consumers are hungry for brands with a spin