Festivals are favourite stamping grounds for brands and sure enough, on Holi, many played with colour and words. But as is increasingly becoming the norm, campaigns by start-ups are the ones that got our attention.

The inner child

Surf Excel has been owning the Holi space for years now with its memorable ‘Daag Acche Hai’ (Dirt is Good) proposition that not only puts out a social message but carries forward the brand’s purpose. This year too, it has used the line cleverly to take on ageism, urging older people to play Holi uninhibitedly and allow the inner child to come out.

A good unlock

Some good punning and metaphorical connections mark digital lock brand Ozone’s new ad campaign. The campaign, made by Dentsu Impact, cleverly connects digital lock and electronic voting in both of which, the finger comes into play. One can swipe open a screen lock with a finger and vote for a better future with a finger as well. With a catchy anthem #AbChalegaFingerKey, it’s an ad one can watch over and again.

The Pro touch

Cryptocurrency brand ZebPay takes a sly dig at celebrity endorsements in its multi-film campaign conceived by Lowe Lintas Bangalore. The campaign films show how people at ZebPay are so immersed in crypto land that they have no clue about Virat stepping down or Vicky-Kat pictures. The films kind of stretch the imagination, but work nevertheless.

Fido Dido is back

Pepsico’s 7UP brings back its lovable mascot Fido in its “Think Fresh” campaign. He points the way out of a sticky situation. You can bank on the cola majors to come up with refreshing ideas. 

Published on March 20, 2022