Diwali; popularly known as the “Festival of Lights” in Hinduism; mythologically speaking, is a homecoming celebration of Lord Ram. The decked-up interiors and exteriors were and still remain an exhibition of the happiness one experiences on his return from the 14 years of exile.
This message is hard to translate in advertisements for Diwali. But, Vivo tried to do so this year with their ad that is titled “Joy of Homecoming”.
Vivo
Busy lives don’t allow assimilation with our loved ones; even on holidays. Holidays are spent catching up on the things that we missed out on when we were busy or resting. Here is a story of a grandfather who lives secluded from his children and grandchildren. While he is tucked away in his beautiful home; his children are abroad and in different time zones. Reuniting with them over video calls are also seems hard.
Since he rents out his guest room as a side business; on one such occasion that occurs near Diwali; a young man named Tushaar fills up the guest room. Being a gregarious and friendly person, he has no problem breaking the ice with his landlord. As time flows, they get close by helping each other around the house and chit-chatting about particular things.
Tushaar being a blogger on social media uploads their pictures of Diwali. The pictures strike an emotional chord in their children and they make their way back home after Diwali to visit their father.
Not all ads can be about this message of homecoming. As said before, it is hard to translate advertisements in terms of Diwali. Thus, we often get advertisements from brands that preach more social acceptance and positivity under the background of Diwali.
Ghadi Detergent
People working in the informal sector or blue-collar workers are never given the respect they deserve. An admiration of money has led us to believe that an application of manual labour is beneath working on a desk.
The biography of snobby individuals has been captured in Ghadi detergent’s ad.
A young man treats his domestic help with particular disdain all day every day. His mother unhappy with his behaviour wishes to teach him an important lesson.
On the day of Diwali, she announces that he will be cleaning his room as the domestic help is off work. She threatens to cut off his allowance if he doesn’t comply with her request. Glumly, he does what has been expected of him; but the irritation of cleaning things up finally catches up. He declares he won’t be continuing with it.
His mother who only wanted to teach him a lesson in the value of any work gets the domestic help to clean the rest of it.
Embarrassed at his behaviour and as an apology, he gives her his allowance as well and wishes her a Happy Diwali.
Oppo
Amid Diwali preparations, a sister-in-law and a woman are talking about what gift they are going to give her daughter. The sister-in-law encourages her to be brave and repeatedly pushes her to tell the truth.
The daughter, who is on the job of running errands; gets a phone call from her mother instructing her the details. Just as she is about to reveal the truth to her, her battery runs low and the call is abruptly ended.
It turns out that the truth is; her daughter isn’t her biological daughter but an adopted one. The daughter learns the truth about this when she visits the orphanage her mother adopted her from.
An important lesson to learn here: “Family doesn’t always mean blood. It is the people you choose that count.”
People view adopted relationships with an estranged look. A Family has to be the blood-related one, or so what a lot of people believe in. An adopted mother or child is not the same as having a biological one. Oppo chose to show this as an ad for Diwali that adopted families can also be the healthy and loving types and need not be confined to the imaginations of our nightmares.
Fbb
Our society hasn’t been polite to dark-skinned people, and that is putting it relatively mildly.
Like the ad aired in 2018 by Fbb; suggestions masked as imposing opinions are often given out. What colours would look good, which filter or cream makes would make one fairer are among the common ones. The girl is appalled by the latter statement which her friend says in front of her crush.
Defying what looks “normal and good”, she chooses to wear what she would like to on Diwali. Her display of bold confidence and beauty consequentially charms her crush.
Amazon India
The second wave of coronavirus this year bought woes for citizens of this country. The unwillingness to help and a lack of reciprocation and aid from the government had drawn people out of their homes to seek help by themselves. As a reminiscence of the past, Amazon made a for this Diwali for the same.
A mother and son drive to the home of the man who saved the son’s life during the deadly second wave. Since his mother only hints at a special family, the son assumes he is being taken for an arranged marriage arrangement.
She drove her son to their home because she wanted to thank that special somebody in person with her son for saving his life. That special somebody happened to be an older Punjabi man and not a girl as the son had visualised.
Again, a message that a family is who we choose and not just the ones bonded to us by blood.
