Raksha Bandhan 2017 Advertising Campaigns

Topical advertising is an approach that can be used to great advantage; particularly in a country like ours where festivals govern the way we live and relate to people and situations.  While a multitude of festivals give us the opportunity to buy new clothes and gifts, eat and be merry, some give us the opportunity to celebrate our relationships. 

As India celebrates Raksha bandhan, the bond between a brother and sister, Nykaa and Micromax are two brands which have released films to commemorate the festival and use it as a selling point.  Here is a look at each of these films and the underlying message:

·         Nykaa, a leading e-commerce platform for beauty products has released a three minute video which can be viewed on their website.  The narrative which begins with a girl reminiscing the support of a sibling through her growing years and predicaments, ends with a surprise, tying a rakhi to her sister, who happens to be the supportive sibling.  It’s endearing in the sense that it does not restrict the bond of love on this day to brothers, but includes sisters and friends, basically anyone who protects us.  More significantly, it’s not predictable. 

1,51.657 views and counting at the time of writing this post, the film has made its impact, however, the hashtag #Bondedbylove does not seemed to have created many ripples online.  The film is supplemented by contests on Facebook and Instagram, where viewers are being urged to upload a picture with the person, with whom they are #Bondedbylove (and that could be anyone who is your mentor or supporter), tag @mynykaa and use the hashtag #Bondedbylove.

·         Micromax’s #ThankYourSister campaign is a two minute video which tells the story of a sacrificing sister and urges brothers to call their sisters and thank them.  The brand has attempted to engage with the users with hashtags like #DoItForHer and asking people ‘what is going to be different about their efforts for their sisters on this Raksha Bandhan?’.  I was unble to see the number of views on their YouTube video though and find that the campaign has not really aroused the interest of audiences on social media.