Festive ads trade perfection for presence

For decades, Indian festive advertising was synonymous with glossy perfection. Families dressed in their finest silks, homes that looked straight out of a design catalogue, and celebrations framed in a flawless glow. These images worked because they mirrored aspiration. Festivals were about presenting your most polished, elevated self.

But times have changed. The festive campaign has gone from diamonds to denim, from orchestrated perfection to authentic imperfection.

Brands are replacing polish with presence, spotlighting imperfect rangolis, candid laughter, and even casual wear at Diwali dinners. This is not a rejection of tradition. It is a reimagining of what celebration looks like for a generation that demands authenticity.

Polish to presence

Jewellery, a category that once stood for glossy aspiration, is today leading the charge toward authenticity. Mia by Tanishq has been championing fine jewellery as everyday wear for years.

Their latest campaign, ‘Precious, Everyday’, takes that one step further by taking the pressure off. Not just the pressure of Diwali dressing, but the deeper pressure of seeing yourself as precious only when the external world validates you. It’s a reminder that you are precious every day, in your own eyes, in your own skin.

Parent brand Tanishq’s ‘Everyday Diamonds’ campaign echoes this sentiment. By reframing diamonds as something you wear at breakfast tables or in home offices, the brand shifts the idea of luxury from milestone-driven perfection to everyday imperfection. Diamonds are no longer reserved for silk and soirées. They shine just as brightly with denim and laughter.

Fashion, too, is reflecting this cultural shift. Azorte’s new campaign, ‘You’re not mid, just in the middle of your story’ speaks directly to the Gen Z fear of being average. The line flips that insecurity on its head. It reassures them that life is not about being perfect, but about embracing the journey, even if you are still figuring things out.

The campaign’s strong engagement indicates just how deeply the message resonates with this cohort. In an age where self-doubt is a universal emotion, the simple act of telling young people ‘You’re fine where you are’ holds more power than a glossy, perfectly curated fashion spread.

Spectacle to story

Much of this shift has emerged from the cultural zeitgeist. The world feels too chaotic to keep up appearances. Nobody wants brands adding to the pressure of looking a certain way when that internal pressure already exists.

Advertising has taken a cue from the Reel-driven world of Instagram and YouTube Shorts, where imperfection is celebrated. Reels thrive on spontaneity, relatability, and community-driven participation.

And so, festive campaigns are leaning into that aesthetic. They borrow the unpolished grammar of Reels to remind us that what matters most is not the spectacle, but the story.

Festivals have always been about togetherness. By spotlighting imperfection and giving people space to be themselves, brands are returning to that basic truth.

 - Mithila Saraf, CEO, Famous Innovations