DOMS campaign celebrates the small moments behind every school year

MUMBAI: Before report cards earn applause, pencil shavings usually get there first. Long before children step into classrooms with fresh ambitions, countless quiet rituals unfold at home. DOMS is putting those often-overlooked moments centre stage in its latest campaign, ‘Every Year Counts’, which celebrates the small acts that gradually prepare children for life’s bigger milestones.

Timed with the start of the new academic year, the campaign shifts the focus away from academic achievements and instead spotlights the routines that become second nature for families. Covering textbooks, labelling notebooks, sharpening pencils, packing school bags and preparing for the first day of class become the emotional thread running through the film.

Built around the thought, “You spend years getting them ready, until one day they are,” the campaign traces a child’s journey from early scribbles and classroom lessons to growing confidence and independence. Rather than highlighting one defining success, it argues that every year of learning, encouragement and perseverance contributes to the bigger picture.

The campaign also reflects a broader shift in back-to-school advertising, where brands are increasingly leaning into emotional storytelling instead of product-led messaging. Here, stationery takes a supporting role, while parents, teachers and everyday moments become the real protagonists.

Speaking about the campaign, Santosh Raveshia, Managing Director of DOMS Industries, said every dream is shaped by years of encouragement, practice and belief. He added that the film is a tribute to parents and educators whose consistent efforts help children build confidence, creativity and a lifelong love for learning.

The creative idea was developed by Havas Creative India, whose Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer Anupama Ramaswamy said parents often fail to recognise the significance of everyday routines until they look back and realise those seemingly ordinary moments were preparing their children for much more than school.

Echoing that sentiment, Saumitra Prasad, Chief Marketing Officer at DOMS, said every drawing, homework session and word of encouragement becomes part of a child’s journey towards confidence and independence, reinforcing the brand’s belief that meaningful growth is built over years rather than overnight.

With ‘Every Year Counts’, DOMS joins a growing list of brands using nostalgia and relatable family moments to connect with audiences, reminding viewers that while milestones may steal the spotlight, it is the small, repeated acts of care that quietly write the story behind every success.