These days, an ad for a packaged juice can begin with: “In a world that forgets to breathe…”
Wait, what?
It’s just a juice in a tetra pack. Not yoga therapy.
But it’s not just the juice. It’s the atta category being poetic about childhood comfort. It’s the fintech space urging us to rewrite generational legacies. It’s the crypto exchanges asking us if we’ve truly believed in ourselves. It’s the hand sanitisers with origin stories longer than their ingredients list. And yes, it’s that sweet and sticky immunity booster genre whispering about ancient wisdom — because inner peace now comes with a spoonful of it.
Where did all this depth come from? And why is it showing up in everything from bathroom cleaners to biscuits?
The Purpose Avalanche
There was a time when paint ads showed walls. Now, they show life stories. Almost every campaign in the paint category today is an emotional mini-movie about bonding, nostalgia, and unspoken emotions — all because someone chose a shade of green.
Toothpaste brands no longer talk about cavities. They talk about confidence, social change, and reclaiming your voice.
Confectionery brands once made us giggle. Now, they speak of intergenerational respect. And wellness products? If you’re not discussing chakras and cellular healing, are you even launching?
Even mutual fund and life insurance categories — traditionally practical and number-driven — have turned into therapy sessions. Cue piano chords, moody filters, and an on-screen dad saying, “Beta, tujhe khud pe bharosa hai na?”
At some point, someone must have said: “Let’s not just sell it. Let’s say something.” And ever since, we’ve all been trapped in this beautifully lit, emotionally manipulative cinematic universe where everything — from floor cleaner to flavoured milk — is meant to stir your soul.
Real Talk (Disguised in Category Tropes)
Take the payments category. Campaigns often feel like short films, tracing everyday micro-acts of empowerment — paying the sabziwala, tipping the delivery agent, contributing to a cause — with a background poem and atmospheric piano/violin music. Is it poetic? Absolutely. But also, you just paid for poha.
Or the energy drink category. Most now feature slow builds of metaphor and monologue. Shots of lonely rooftops, dim study lamps, dreams printed on spiral notebooks. Voiceover: “Sapne deadline nahi dekhte.” And boom — someone drinks from a can and finds their spark.
Even chyawanprash-style immunity supplements now open with montages of growing old, parenting, resisting peer pressure — all set to a sitar and soft lighting. Product frame appears after you’ve already committed to a full emotional journey.
Even mobile plans now come with stories. Not offers — stories. About staying connected with your faraway dadi and how the internet is basically modern love.
The Depth Olympics
The idea of a straightforward jingle or smile-inducing punchline? Far and few.
You need drone shots, slow narration, maybe a mysterious figure staring at the monsoon skyline. Especially in home care, grooming, and even paint — the formula is uncanny:
- A single musical note
- Thoughtful expressions by ‘real people’
- Rain, windows, mid-shots of silence
- Tagline like: “Andar ka bharosa. Bahar ka asar.”
What happened to simplicity?
Why So Serious?
Agree, emotional storytelling is powerful. But now, it’s expected. It’s required. Even the most basic product categories are being dressed in heavy emotion.
Every brief seems to arrive wearing a shawl, sipping slow chai, and saying, “Let’s speak to the soul.” Meanwhile, the battered soul is looking for the nearest exit.
But if everyone is whispering poetry, who’s cracking the joke?
Ironically, some of the most talked-about Indian category ads — the ones we still forward in WhatsApp groups — weren’t purpose-driven epics. They were joyful. Silly. And proud of it.
Remember when snack brands used to be fun? Or when the paint category ran a campaign about walls actually speaking? Or when digital-first brands made us compete? — for no reason at all, except fun?
Or a phone brand that just dropped a massive phone box in the middle of Marine Drive and let curiosity do the rest?
We’re now in an era where every campaign, even in mattress or cable services, is trying to spark a movement.
Point to Ponder
Is every product category meant to carry a torch?
Or are we overdressing simple stories in layered meanings no one asked for?
Maybe it’s time to ask: what does the consumer want to feel when they see an ad — informed, inspired, or just entertained?
Till then, if your next ad begins with black-and-white footage, a sigh, and the line “In a world where silence screams…”, maybe take a beat.
And remind ourselves: not every category needs to heal the nation.
Sometimes, just being a really good achar will do.
Sometimes, even vada pav just needs to be hot and spicy — not soul-searching.
Because not every biscuit wants to be a TED Talk.
And deep down, maybe… neither do we.
(Disclaimer: All campaign lines quoted here are fictional — lovingly stitched together from the soul-searching spirit of hundreds of ads. Think of them as the AI-generated poetry version of each category’s advertising voice. If they felt oddly familiar, that was the point.)
