The campaigns that cut through in 2025

Every year produces no shortage of advertising, but only a handful of campaigns meaningfully enter professional conversations. It is either for how sharply they read culture, or for how decisively they resist it.

In 2025, the most talked-about work did not rely on scale alone or novelty for its own sake. Instead, it reflected a growing maturity in Indian marketing: brands responding to lived behaviour, creators shaping narratives rather than delivering scripts, and humour being used not as garnish but as strategy.

For this year-end feature, Campaign India spoke to senior brand leaders across categories—beauty, healthcare, home, financial services and FMCG—asking each to reflect on two campaigns that stood out for them. Their selections reveal a common thread: effective work today is less about broadcasting intent and more about participating in culture with clarity, restraint and confidence.

Akansha Baliga, marketing lead, Plum

When I look at Fevicol’s work, what consistently stands out is how the brand evolves with culture without diluting its core truth. What I admire about Fevicol’s advertising is how it keeps evolving with culture while staying anchored to one unmistakable product truth: ‘Fevicol ka jod, tootega nahin.’ That line isn’t treated like a slogan; it’s a repeated demonstration of performance. Each film places the product in a fresh, often humorous situation, but the takeaway never shifts. The humour does the work of memory-building—it’s the vehicle that makes the strength claim sticky—and that consistency compounds recall over time. There’s also discipline in how the brand avoids leaning on celebrities or trends. The idea carries the communication, which is a leadership lesson many brands underestimate.

The Dhurandhar movie’s campaign impressed me for very different reasons. It showed how distribution thinking can be as powerful as the creative itself. Instead of flooding feeds with trailers, they seeded one sharp, very short clip through multiple meme pages, letting the internet interpret and remix it organically. The brand didn’t over-direct the outcome; it provided a format, not a message. The insight was simple: give the internet a ‘template,’ not a message. What followed was creator-led momentum that outperformed paid amplification. For me, it reinforced that modern virality is rarely brand-pushed; it’s enabled.

Vishal Gupta, commercial director – sales and marketing, Hansgrohe India

Mercedes-Benz’s 2025 Dream Days campaign stood out for how deliberately it stepped away from conventional product storytelling. The car wasn’t positioned as an object of desire but as a companion across life’s journeys. Roads and landscapes became metaphors for progress, making the narrative aspirational without being overt. I found the restraint refreshing. What elevated it further was the print execution: a front-page takeover designed from the driver’s perspective. That simple shift turned a habitual media interaction into an experience, reminding us that traditional formats still have room for innovation when treated thoughtfully.

Asian Paints’ Socha Bhi Nahi Hoga resonated for its insight-led simplicity. Rather than selling paint as a technical decision, it focused on how people actually imagine their homes; through small, often spontaneous choices. The young couple discovering design possibilities felt authentic, not staged. What worked for me was the conversational tone. It made home improvement feel approachable while still aspirational. The campaign demonstrated how clarity of consumer understanding can elevate everyday moments into compelling storytelling, without overengineering the message.

Abhishek Misra, country head for brand and marketing, Narayana Health

Garnier Men’s Bassi vs Face Wash campaign was one of the clearest examples this year of a brand responding to culture rather than controlling it. The genesis itself was unusual; Anubhav Singh Bassi questioning men’s face washes publicly. Instead of defending the category, Garnier leaned in. This became a benchmark in showing how brands can shift from being marketing-focused to culture-responsive. Bassi’s journey from sceptic to participant felt earned, not transactional. The eventual DVC with John Abraham worked because it followed the conversation, not the other way around. The scale—over 400 million views—and recognition, including Cannes Lions, proved that strong storytelling travels across platforms.

Bold Care’s #TakeBoldCareofHer stood out for tackling a category many brands still avoid. Men’s sexual health is often wrapped in shame, and Bold Care addressed that head-on using humour as a strategic entry point. The Ranveer Singh–Johnny Sins collaboration forced the topic into mainstream discourse, widening reach and normalising conversation. What impressed me was how humour acted as a ‘Trojan Horse’, making education accessible without sounding clinical. By shifting the tone from medical fear to everyday conversation, the brand didn’t just sell products; it reframed behaviour. That’s rare and consequential.

Pooja Sablok, chief marketing officer, Airtel Payments Bank

Surf Excel’s Daag Acche Hain continues to be one of India’s most enduring platforms, and this year’s work reinforced why. The Mother’s Day campaign challenged the idea that household responsibility sits with women alone, while staying true to the brand’s core thought: stains are part of meaningful living. The integration with Jemimah Rodrigues after India’s Women’s Cricket World Cup win added another layer. Linking stains on a jersey to pride and achievement felt culturally timely. Surf Excel consistently shows that some daag aren’t flaws, they’re memories worth preserving.

Horlicks’ Mischief is a Sign, Growth is Fine resonated for its reassurance. Parents often equate good growth with calm behaviour, and the campaign flipped that assumption. By framing mischief and energy as positive indicators, it relieved parental anxiety while staying aligned with Horlicks’ long-standing growth promise. The use of everyday situations made the message credible. Growth, the campaign reminded us, doesn’t have to be quiet or perfect, and that honesty is what made it effective.