Creative minds recall Independence Day ads that still give them goosebumps

Despite its vast diversity of languages, people, and land, India unites as one on August 15th. On this day, we broke free from 200 years of colonial rule and the tricolour was unfurled over a free nation.
Since then, much has changed, yet the patriotism in every Indian heart remains a constant, a feeling our advertisements have always captured. From Doordarshan’s timeless ‘Mile sur mera tumhara’ to the recent ‘Think Beautiful’ campaign by JSW Paints, these films connect with us deeply on one single chord, the feeling of belonging to this nation.

The ‘Think Beautiful’ ad shows a tender moment between a father and son. As the nation watches the flag hoisting on TV, the son creates a hand-painted, textured tricolour. Each colour is a tribute: to those who won our freedom, who preserve our unity, and who nurture our land. He then guides his visually impaired father’s hand across the painting, helping him experience the national flag through touch and emotion. The film closes on a powerful note, “Beauty that can also be seen with the eyes of the heart,” reminding us that this day will always unite us in our differences.

In a nation characterised by immense diversity, numerous brands have historically used their advertising platforms to promote messages of unity and communal harmony. These campaigns often seek to bridge social and cultural divides by highlighting stories of togetherness and celebrating a shared Indian identity.

One such campaign was #UnitedByHarmony by United Colors of Benetton. It tells the story of Noorul Hassan, an elderly Muslim man from Lucknow, a city where many of India's cultures converge. The story showcases him taking care of a Hindu temple, which he helped rebuild by donating half of his land. For this act of generosity, he is celebrated by the local community every year.

This UCB campaign is not an isolated effort, it is part of a whole series exploring themes of communal harmony, love, and peace. However, using advertising to challenge such divisions is not a new phenomenon. Throughout the years, many campaigns have been created to counter ingrained communal sentiments.

One notable ad that illustrates the power of unity is from Cadbury. In it, a group of college students creates a human pyramid (a formation seen during Dahi Handi) to unfurl a part of a flag that is stuck. It's a simple concept, effectively showing that when we come together, anything is possible.

These ads are a testament to the power of creative storytelling. With Independence Day just around the corner, these themes become even more important and are often at the heart of the country's most memorable campaigns.

For this Independence Day, we asked some of India’s top creative minds which patriotic ads gave them goosebumps and why. Here’s a look at what they said.

Akshay Kapnadak, CCO, Infectious

The most moving 'Independence Day' campaign wasn't even an Independence Day campaign - The 'Mera Baba Desh Chalata Hai' film by TATA for the 'Two bins, life wins' initiative. Beautifully written, superbly crafted piece of work. It was honest, relevant and went beyond the fleeting jingoism of a lot of Independence Day communication. For me that's the most memorable Independence Day campaign (that wasn't)

Neeraj Kanitkar, Co-founder,Fundamental

Many come to mind instantly, the silent national anthem, the JSW wall painting one, TOI Aman ki Aasha Dumb Charades (thought not sure if it released around Independence Day). But the a long running campaign that has always had my heart and a little bit of healthy professional envy of ‘wish–I–had–done–that’ is the long running Manyavar series. 

One, for the sheer effortless, simplicity of the idea. Two, because in addition to a day of pride, remembrance of untold sacrifices and significant historical importance, the campaign also codifies Aug 15 as a festival of freedom. Enmeshing a cultural significance that rises beyond markers of patriotism or jingoism. It does all that with such innocence and ease that you can’t help but feel good about the day, the brand and the country.

Rupesh Kashyap, Brand Culturist, Consultant - Cultural Strategist and Project Head, Curativity 

Two campaigns still give me goosebumps. Mile Sur Mera Tumhara for Doordarshan. The Silent National Anthem, Deshbhakti ki koi bhasha nahi hoti, for Reliance Films. Mile Sur first aired on August 15, 1988, right after the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech. It wasn’t made just for the day. It was made to celebrate unity in diversity. To make you feel it without being told.

Today, online and offline debates spark over whose language is “more Indian.” These films remind us our strength has never been about speaking the same tongue. We are a country where every four kos the water changes. Every eight kos the dialect.

India is like an onion. Each language, each culture, each tradition is a layer that gives it shape and flavour. Peel them away and the essence is lost.

That is why brands must look beyond fitting a product feature into an Independence Day ad. The idea of India is layered. Emotional. Lived. When the day becomes only about discounts and deals, we risk making Azaadi feel like a transaction. Good offers are fine. The real opportunity for a brand is to add to the meaning of the day, not reduce it.

Ruchita Zambre, Creative Head (West) & Design Director (India), TBWA\India

In 2010, on the occasion of Independence Day, a video was released by Reliance Big Cinemas across India that I will never forget. It wasn’t the usual rendition of the national anthem that we stood up for before every film. This time, the Silent National Anthem that was enacted, not sung — by mute and hearing impaired Indian children.

In the movie theatre as the lights dimmed and the video began, there was no music at first, only the expressive gestures of the children in perfect synchrony, expressing every word of Jana Gana Mana. The background score carried the familiar melody, but what truly struck me was the purity and pride in their faces. They couldn’t hear the anthem, yet they embodied it with a depth many of us had never experienced.

For the first time in my life, watching the national anthem gave me goosebumps. It was powerful, humbling, and profoundly moving. When the video ended, there was an unusual stillness in the theatre, not the hurried rustle of people settling in for the movie, but a collective moment of reflection. The impact was undeniable; it touched everyone present.

Looking back 15 years later, I realise this was the essence of what we now call “moment marketing” before the term even existed. The brand had created a cultural moment that transcended advertising, embedding itself in memory and emotion. It wasn’t just a campaign; it was a shared national experience. And its echo still lingers.

Saurabh Sankpal, Chief Creative Head, Wit & Chai Group

Some campaigns whisper. This one didn’t even do that and yet, it roared. In the quiet grace of those children’s hands, the anthem wasn’t just sung, it was felt. ‘PATRIOTISM KNOWS NO LANGUAGE’ isn’t a tagline; it’s a masterstroke. It strips away the clutter of sound, script, and spectacle, and still leaves you with goosebumps. That’s the kind of work every creative secretly envies because it reminds us that real communication isn’t about decibels, it’s about depth.

What really hooked me was the audacity to let silence be the hero. In advertising, we’re so obsessed with finding the ‘big idea’ that we sometimes forget the power of a pure, unadorned truth. These children, with their sign-language rendition, quietly rewrote the rules. They reminded us that our love for India doesn’t need subtitles, translations, or even words. It’s a feeling that is instant, instinctive, and deeply human. That’s why it works: it’s not trying to sell patriotism, it’s making you feel it. And when a campaign can make you forget the medium and just absorb the message, that’s not just good advertising, that’s art.

Shruthi Subramaniam, Executive Creative Director at BBDO India

It’s not an Independence Day campaign, but an Independence Day song that gave me goosebumps. It gave the nation goosebumps and still does.
Vande Mataram by A.R Rahman was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of India’s Independence. The lyrics, the melody, the voice - everything about the song evokes profound feelings of patriotism and pride.