Revisiting Iconic Indian TV Ads: Lessons in Brand Storytelling

As a content creator, I’ve always been fascinated with Ads. And growing up in India during the 90s has given me a treasure trove of these to cherish.

I can spend hours looping the same minute-long video and learn something new every single time. These Ads were brilliantly crafted and, dare I say, are the perfect examples of how short-form content should be written and executed. So, if you’re a writer who hit the wall and is looking for some inspiration, maybe it’s time to revisit some classics and reignite the flame.

Here are my top five Indian ads that every writer must know. So let’s dive straight in!

#1 Melody

“Melody itni chocolatee kyu hain?”

“Melody khao, khud jaan jao.”

If you grew up in India during the 90s, you’ve probably seen the immensely catchy Melody Ad. It’s been decades since the Ad first launched, yet these two simple lines still stick with us. And the reason? It’s quirky humor.

Through Melody’s ads, this question is posed at the most surprising of times — during a PT drill, in a school classroom, or on the red carpet!

And it is the sheer absurdity of the timing that sticks with the audience while also communicating the product’s essence. This brilliantly tempts the chocolate and encourages viewers to try the toffee themselves.

Lesson for you

The rule of 3s! This is a classic copywriting trick used in the Ad, where the writer has used three different scenarios to make a couple of dialogues stick. This is also what Apple does.

“iPhone 14 Plus has 21% more screen, making it supersized but surprisingly lightweight.”

They use three phrases to describe each feature, so there’s a sense of rhythm to the copy. If you want to persuade your audience, try the rule of three next time.

#2 Amul

This homegrown brand’s jingle is one of those tunes that just doesn’t leave your head even after a week! You could be working at your desk or preparing dinner, and you would catch yourself humming it.

And this is what makes the jingle such an essential reason for this ad’s success. It solidifies the brand’s image with the audience and makes it a familiar name.

Lesson for you

Through the ad, the writer has incorporated almost every viewer the brand targets under the single banner of “India”, which makes it relatable to the masses. By invoking a sense of belonging, the writer appealed to the emotion of the viewers and hence, made the Ad memorable.

#3 Coca Cola

When you read the newspaper or scroll through your feed, there are umpteen reminders of what’s going wrong with the world. Amid this, Coca-Cola launched a heart-warming ad spreading positivity and hope.

During the ad, Coca-Cola shares a positive practice for every bad news. And by doing this, it asks the viewers to concentrate on the good and live a better life. Just like Amul’s ad, the ad’s ‘umeedo waali dhoop’ song also became an anthem with the viewers.

Lesson for you

As a writer, consider working backwards. Where most of the time, we’ll work from the main objective (product launch, brand awareness etc.). Maybe keeping it aside for a moment could help you brainstorm. Take a look at the bigger picture and knit it back to your objective. You could find some interesting results, such as this timeless Coca-Cola ad.

#4 Dove

Where most personal care brands concentrate on how you’re lacking, this company took a different approach. Dove’s #StopTheBeautyTest Ad questioned Indian society’s gender inequality and what it means to be a young woman in India. Not only that, but it also worked with real women instead of paid actors to further the impact of its ad campaign.

Through this ad, Dove implores society to look beyond size, color, and physical looks to appreciate their unique personalities and beings. Growing up in India, we all know this is very much the ground reality, but by fashioning an ad around this problem, Dove calls out people to be better and do better.

Lesson for you

Whatever content you’re working on, make sure to find a common pain point you can use in your brand storytelling. This will help you better iterate your key messaging.

#5 WhatsApp

WhatsApp launched its #ItsBetweenYou — Apna Sa Lagta Hain Apno Ke Bich ad in 2020 to clarify its privacy policy. And to make this point, the ad shows us a relationship between two sisters. Both live different lives but remain connected through WhatsApp.

The ad covers a video call where one sister virtually holds the other one’s hand through a haircut. The writers took a simple, mundane idea and effectively communicated WhatsApp’s respect for privacy and struck a chord with the general public.

Lesson for you

Ads like these are great examples of how writers can take moments from their personal lives and enhance them into something bigger. Ordinary everyday activities can sometimes be a great source of inspiration, especially when trying to connect with the audience.

Wrapping Up

From tickling our funny bones with some wacky humor to showing the mirror to society, Indian ads have played an important role in all our lives. And the credit for this impact goes to the writers behind them.

Coming up with clever, interesting, and engaging ad plots is a task, no doubt. But I hope revisiting these iconic ads helps you escape the frustrating writer’s block. So, put pen to paper and begin again!

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