5 Awesome Diwali Commercials from Yesteryear That Will Make You Smile & Cry at the Same Time

Diwali is just around the corner. Associated with a plethora of beliefs, themes, and messages, Diwali infuses the atmosphere with an air of joy. The markets buzz with happy faces and the festive mood is on full display. Adding to this celebratory mood are brands that come up with delightful commercials to create a massive impact on our minds.

So, here we are with 5 amazing Diwali commercials that will fill your hearts with love and moisten your eyes with tears of joy.

1. Surf Excel: #AbLagRahiDiwali

Gleaming earthen lamps, mouth-watering delicacies, and loads of laughter- these are the ingredients behind a truly special Diwali. And this Surf Excel commercial has got plenty of that, along with a special message.

The commercial urges the audience to take a moment from their Diwali celebrations to spread happiness outside their families. Carrying on their iconic #DaagAccheHain concept, this Diwali commercial sends out a strong and emotional message of treating everyone with kindness and affection, and rightly so! After all, isn’t that where the real joy of celebrating Diwali lies?

2. Vodafone: #YourWordsNotForwards

Probably the most annoying thing about almost every festival, especially Diwali, are the pesky message forwards. And this Vodafone commercial takes a dig at these forwards.

The commercial shows a young lad forwarding his grandmother a message on Diwali. The cute grandmother is seen trying to click pictures and send them to him. She finally sends him an image of the two of them along with the cutest wish that you could think of. That’s when the grandson realizes that special people in our lives deserve personal messages and gets on a video call with his grandmother to celebrate the day.

3. Tanishq: #KhulkeManaoDiwali

Diwali is the unofficial indication in India to splurge. And Tanishq reminded its audience exactly that through this commercial.

While most Diwali commercials feature parents, families, and relatives, this one features a couple where the husband surprises his wife with a stunning Tanishq necklace. Well, Diwali and romance can go hand-in-hand too.

4. Idea: #ApneAndarkeAndhkaarkoJalao

We often hear about cab and taxi drivers acting as good samaritans and returning lost valuables to their respective owners. This Idea commercial offers one such story but with a slight twist.

The ad shows a taxi driver finding a cell phone in his taxi, which was probably left in the taxi by one of the passengers. When the owner of the phone calls on his number, the driver declines the call. Just when he is planning to keep the phone for himself, he undergoes a change of heart and calls the phone’s owner, informs him about his phone, and returns it to him. The ad beautifully captures the theme of the victory of good over evil and illustrates the existence of humanity in today’s disgruntled world.

5. Cadbury Celebrations: #KhadoosChacha

Diwali is never complete without gifting or receiving boxes of Cadbury Celebrations. This 2011 Cadbury commercial achieved something that most other commercials failed to capture- the mean, old scrooge neighbor or the “khadoos chacha”.

With most urban Indians living in apartment buildings, many of them have come across the khadoos chacha at some point in their lives. And young, naughty children have a special affinity towards them. They often gang up on their old neighbors and leave footprints on freshly drawn rangolis or ring their doorbells and run away to annoy them, while leaving distant squeals of laughter

However, this Cadbury commercial tries to bring together one of these naughty children and a grumpy old neighbor and brings about the realization regarding the true spirit of Diwali- spreading happiness.

Wrapping Up

And that was a wrap of some of the best Diwali ads from the past. Diwali brings together people from across the board and fosters a sense of belonging and inclusivity. And these brands knew exactly how to capture the true essence of Diwali.

We’ll be back with more awesome Diwali campaigns from this year, next week. Till then, stay tuned!