MAM
This Diwali ‘it’s all about loving one’s family’: Brands celebrate the joy of homecoming
MUMBAI: It’s that time of the year when advertisers spend the major portion of their annual ad spends in going all out to woo the Indian consumer. With the Festival of Lights upon us, marketers and brands are doing everything they can to unlock the year’s biggest festive blitzkrieg by ensuring their campaign stands out this Diwali.
With families separated by the pandemic for long, it’s time to come home, sit together, and catch up. After all, festivals are all about celebrating togetherness, and what better way to celebrate than to be home with one’s loved ones? With this understanding, brands across categories have released ad films centred around family reunions and bonding sessions. After all, ‘it’s all about loving one’s parents/ family’.
Backed by a heart-warming narrative, Vivo released a Diwali special digital film communicating the “Joy of Homecoming”. Starring actor Kanwaljit Singh, the ad film conceptualised by Dentsu Impact encapsulates the role of the smartphone in rekindling the joy of connection.
Another ad from Anand Sweets also highlights the simple joys of attending the rituals and traditions with family members. The ad takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane showcasing the fun activities that defined festivity during one’s childhood. The script drafted by Norm creative strategic agency brings out the emotions, love, and lore of Diwali.
With their new Diwali campaign video ‘Kissa Kaaju Katli Ka’, online poker platform, PokerBaazi gave a sweet twist to enjoying a game with family, where members apply their Poker skills to understand and read their opponent while trying to win a pot of sweets.
In a message which would resonate with today’s generation, telecom operator Vodafone Idea’s Diwali campaign #LookUp says mere physical presence is not enough if one is not mindfully present in the moment. Vi has launched a digital video highlighting the importance of virtual platforms, yet encouraging real conversations during special occasions. The campaign throws light on how one can miss out on the special times despite being there and gives out a call: ‘it’s time to shut our screens’ and truly be there to celebrate with our loved ones.
Taking a dig at all the other so-called ‘cliched’ Diwali ads, tech brand DIZO realme’s released a new ad – “Not-So-Clichéd Diwali Ad”. The ad executed by White Rivers Media is a light-hearted take on the most commonly used format of storytelling in Diwali campaigns while going on to do just that even as it cleverly integrates the tech brand’s product into the narrative.
Taking a step further is surfacing solutions brand, Greenlam Industries which has rolled out a digital campaign that humorously underlines the importance of taking time out to ‘celebrate at home and celebrate home’, this Diwali. The short film conceptualised by Mirum India showcases an American boss delegating work to his team in India over a video call on Diwali while stressing that the timeline is crucial and needs to go out immediately. The team manages to get out of the sticky situation by pulling a fast one over the boss unitedly. Watch how they do it:
Brands
Yes Madam taps Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don nostalgia to power new digital campaign
Home salon platform ropes in Tanya Mittal as it bets on humour and pop culture to showcase trust and convenience
NOIDA: India’s fast-growing home salon platform Yes Madam is leaning on nostalgia and a dose of comic chaos to pitch its services. The brand has launched a new digital campaign starring Rajpal Yadav and influencer Tanya Mittal, reviving Yadav’s much-loved Chota Don character to underline the reliability of at-home beauty services.
The campaign marks Yes Madam’s first collaboration with Rajpal Yadav and revisits the quirky Chota Don persona made famous in the 2007 film Partner. Produced with Footloose Films, the film blends slapstick humour with a nostalgic callback to spotlight the platform’s promise of dependable, quality services delivered at home.
The storyline plays out like a miniature action comedy. Tanya Mittal finds herself surrounded by goons and calls for help, only for Rajpal Yadav to appear in full Chota Don mode, dispatching the attackers in his trademark comic style as Mittal cheers him on. The drama then flips abruptly to a calmer scene, with Mittal relaxing at home while enjoying a Yes Madam service and insisting the heroic episode really happened, even as posters of Chota Don decorate her house. The film ends with Yadav’s voiceover declaring that the incident may or may not have happened, but the trust and quality of Yes Madam’s services certainly have.
The collaboration also follows a broader show of support for Rajpal Yadav within the industry. In the growing wave of backing for the veteran actor, Mayank Arya, co-founder and chief executive of Yes Madam, publicly supported actor-producer Sonu Sood’s call for concrete help from the film industry and corporate brands. Arya took to the social media platform X urging companies to move beyond expressions of sympathy and instead offer tangible opportunities to the actor amid his ongoing legal and financial challenges.
He wrote, “Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the great talent. @Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam! Have already aligned the team on it. #ComeBackStronger.”
Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the the great talent.@Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam !
Have already aligned the team on it.#ComeBackStronger https://t.co/Q7qpJttLTs— Mayank Arya (@iammayankarya) February 11, 2026
Rajpal Yadav recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay dues in a long-running cheque-bounce case. The actor had been accused in the case in 2018 after he was unable to repay a loan taken for a film project that failed at the box office. The court later ordered him to surrender after the dues remained unpaid.
The situation triggered a wave of support from several high-profile figures. Sonu Sood emerged as one of the most prominent voices, expressing solidarity and promising Yadav a role in his next film. Sood emphasised that industry support should be about dignity and real job opportunities rather than charity. Celebrities including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Gurmeet Choudhary and Guru Randhawa have also publicly extended financial and professional support.
Before surrendering, Rajpal Yadav shared an emotional statement in which he spoke about feeling alone and unsupported, a remark that struck a chord with many in the industry. However, his brother later clarified that the actor would never have intended to suggest that he lacked support from colleagues or well-wishers.
Reflecting on the campaign, Mayank Arya said the film was designed to entertain while strengthening the brand’s message. “At Yes Madam, we have always believed in creating campaigns that connect with audiences in an engaging and memorable way. I had earlier spoken about the importance of extending meaningful opportunities to Rajpal Yadav, and we are glad to be the first brand to take that step forward with this collaboration. Through this film, we wanted to create a compelling narrative while also reinforcing the trust and reliability that customers associate with Yes Madam’s services,” Arya said.
Akanksha Vishnoi, co-founder, said the campaign leans on nostalgia to strike a chord with digital audiences. “Consumers today engage deeply with content that blends entertainment with relatability. With this campaign, we wanted to revisit a nostalgic moment while subtly reinforcing the convenience and reliability of at-home services. Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don is an iconic character that instantly evokes nostalgia and humour, making it the perfect fit for this campaign. Tanya Mittal’s presence added a vibrant energy and helped us bring the vision of the campaign to life,” Vishnoi said.
Founded in 2016, Yes Madam offers salon and spa services at home through trained professionals using hygienic, single-use product formats. The platform now operates in more than 55 cities across India, pitching convenience, transparency and quality to a growing base of urban consumers.
The new campaign, rolling out across social media and video platforms, makes its pitch with a wink. The Chota Don rescue might be fiction, but the promise of a salon at your doorstep, the brand suggests, is the real deal.
