Brands
Surf Excel celebrates Ramazan with #madadekibadat
MUMBAI: “Kisi ki madad karna bhi ek ibadat hai. Aur agar madad karne mein daag lag jaye, toh daag acche hai” — is the message Surf Excel is conveying in the holy month of Ramazan.
The cute factor of Surf Excel campaigns with kids staining their clothes is something that we have always seen in its campaigns with the signature phrase ‘Daag Acche Hai’, but this time Surf Excel’s all new campaign has touched the chords of many hearts as innocent kids go out of their way to help an old samosa seller in need highlighting and bringing in #madadkiibadat.
The advertisement tagged #madadekibadat has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas and produced by Absolute Productions. It is shot in Old Delhi. The campaign has gone viral on digital platforms owing to its feel good factor. The advertisement is directed by Vasan Mala and music is by Hanif. It was released only on digital platforms on June 10. Apart from India, the campaign is garnering eyeballs in Pakistan as well; the brand is planning to launch the campaign internationally.
“Surf Excel wished to create something with the divine feel of Ramadan, and the creative team of Lowe Lintas developed the story around it. We tried creating a story that people will connect to. We wanted to convey the true spirit of the holy month.” said Lowe Lintas CCO Arun Iyer.
The 2 minutes 20 seconds video starts with three adorable kids celebrating Ramazan evening by breaking their fast at Iftaar. In between the celebrations, where some people just pass by a broken cart of an old samosa seller, the three kids decide to go out of their way and help the old man. In their shiny new kurtas, they pick the samosa cart and run around to sell them; and manage to bring smile on everyone’s faces leaving the strong message that the festival is about helping others. Their mother is shown in the end with a proud smile. After all, if you stain your clothes while helping someone, then stains are good; Daag Acche Hai.
The vision came from pulling out a story that can touch viewer’s heart. The essence of the holy month of Ramazan is cleansing the souls and actions of people. The video reflects that perfectly – kids who could just carry on with their own evening, but instead decide to help an old man. That is a very strong message for people to realise that goodness and helping others is the true prayer. The makers of the video also explained that samosas and jalebis are very popular for Iftaar, which is another factor in developing a story like #madadekibadat.
Ad campaigns have seen a turn over with digitalization where 30 seconds adverts have stretched to 1-2 minutes short films. There are many recent well received campaigns which have appealing stories to tell and emphasise on a message rather than just promoting the product in conventional ways. Brands have turned to narrating stories around the inspiration of the product, which can leave a greater impact on consumer. The same formula has worked for #madadekibadat campaign. The human emotion of helping in the holy month is what consumers are connecting with. Despite the hassle of cleaning stains, a mother is happy because of the gesture her child made.
The agency seems very confident about the connection the story has with its viewers, and that the viewers will take it forward. It claims that the video had 21,000 shares and 142,586 views after going live.
Commenting on the kids’ factor of Surf Excel advertisements, Iyer said, “The brand is planning to stick to children as they are the ones with most stained clothes. Even in the present campaign, both factors have connected the audiences with the goodness of the holy month and innocence of kids”.
About making campaigns relevant to festivals, agency clarified it is not very focused on occasions but stories which will stay with people.
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
