The evolving OOH playbook for Ganesh Chaturthi 2025 amid rules and new tech

In Maharashtra, the arrival of Lord Ganesha is more than just a festival; it is a collective pulse. Streets thrum with dhol-tasha beats, towering idols wind through neighbourhoods, and millions of devotees flock to pandals to seek blessings, making Ganesh Chaturthi a commercial goldmine for brands.

With India’s AdEx set to top ₹55,000 crore in FY26 and outdoor media capturing an ever-growing share, this 10-day celebration has become a critical launchpad for high-impact OOH campaigns.

But this year’s Ganeshotsav is unfolding under a different set of rules. Following Mumbai’s draft 2024 OOH policy and last year’s safety reviews, permissions for festive installations have tightened significantly. Billboard sizes are capped, “no-hoarding zones” are marked, and digital formats face stricter scrutiny on brightness and structural stability. The post-Ghatkopar collapse crackdown has made compliance non-negotiable, reshaping how brands approach the festival. 

“Those of us already aligned with these rigorous standards are now carrying the weight of an industry course-correction,” said Manasa Madhusudan, Head – Marketing and Strategy, RoshanSpace Brandcom Pvt Ltd.

If regulation is the new frame, the creative canvas within it has only grown bolder. What was once a banner-and-logo play has transformed into full-scale immersive storytelling. “Earlier, brands just wanted their logos outside pandals. Today, they want to be part of the devotee’s journey — from the queue to the darshan to the visarjan,” said Yuvrraj Agarwaal, Chief Strategy Officer, Laqshya Media Group. This shift reflects a larger change in OOH itself, where tech-driven formats and experiential activations are driving ROI.

Client briefs in 2025 are reflecting this change. 

Sanket Parab, Associate Vice President – Strategy Lead, Posterscope India, said “Clients brief us to largely focus on engagement zones, disruptive installations, DOOH-led storytelling, and cause-led messaging,” he said, pointing to the growing demand for clutter-breaking formats.

Tarun Pugalia, Founder and MD of Smartags, calls it a fundamental repositioning of brand intent, from visibility to cultural immersion. “What began as standalone festive billboards has now matured into deeply immersive experiences… Clients today don’t want visibility alone; they want emotional resonance. From fragrance-infused pandals to interactive DOOH, the ambition is to move from “be seen” to “be felt,” he said. 

Last year’s campaigns offer a glimpse of this new playbook: Havells’ 45,000-meter flame-retardant wiring idol, Swiggy Instamart’s modak dispenser, and Pulse Candy’s AI-powered avatars are all proof that pandal experience during Ganesh Chaturthi is changing. 

This year, brands are doubling down on that momentum with hyper-creative, culturally immersive activations.

ITC Foods’ Aashirvaad Atta is leaning on symbolism and tech to connect with devotees. The brand has created what it calls the world’s smallest idol of Lord Ganesha, etched on individual wheat grains to represent the purity of its atta. At select pandals, visitors can co-create digital Ganesha artworks, which are then projected onto a life-sized wheat idol, and receive the engraved wheat grains as part of a special prasad. “We strive to celebrate India’s cultural richness with meaningful and innovative experiences, and this initiative brings tradition and technology together in a way that feels authentic to the festival,” said Shuvadip Banerjee, Chief Digital Marketing Officer, ITC Foods.

Agencies pointed out the following creative trends that are dominating this year:

• Contextual creativity: Brands are prioritising hyper-relevant, moment-driven ideas that spark curiosity, go viral organically, and secure top-of-mind recall. The brief is no longer just “do something big” but “do something that matters here and now.”
• Sensor-triggered storytelling: The next level of immersion, using scents, motion-reactive lights, and dynamic soundscapes to turn audiences into active participants. It’s about surprise, emotional depth, and creating memories that outlast the festival itself.

Who is spending on OOH? 

If the formats have evolved, so have the players. FMCG remains the biggest spender on pandal OOH, but the category is no longer alone at the top. “While categories such as Auto, BFSI, FMCG, consumer durables, and electronics continue to dominate spends, newer categories like e-commerce, quick commerce, jewellery, apparel, and real estate are rapidly stepping in to build stronger local connects,” shared Rahul Kakkar, CEO, Ignite – Tribes Communication Pvt Ltd.

Manasa Madhusudan pointed to a shift in what “emerging” now means: “Home improvement brands in fittings, paints, electrical accessories, cement, and retail electronics are growing while creating differentiated ideas.”

Electronics and electricals are leaning on pandals for high-impact visibility, while automobile players – particularly EV two-wheelers – are using the festive window for offers and launches. Quick commerce brands like Instamart and Zepto continue to push hyperlocal connect with contextual delivery messaging.

For Yuvrraj Agarwaal, the story of 2025 lies in categories that were born online seeking real-world credibility. “FMCG, Q-commerce, telecom, and durables will dominate again. But the real surprise is digital-first brands — fintechs, OTTs, e-commerce — using pandals as their most human touchpoint,” he said.

Brand interest in small pandals

Iconic pandals remain the biggest draw for brands this year. “Brands continue to prioritise high-footfall, iconic pandals such as Lalbaugcha Raja, GSB Seva Mandal, Andhericha Raja, and Chinchpokli Cha Raja, given their massive reach and visibility,” said Sanket Parab. 

At the same time, there is a clear shift towards smaller, community-led pandals. These may not draw the same crowds, but they offer intimacy and relevance, which brands are getting drawn to. 

“Lalbaugcha Raja remains the magnet, but 25–40% of spends are now going to micro-mandals,” said Yuvrraj Agarwaal. “For BFSI or Q-commerce brands, smaller pandals deliver sharper hyperlocal impact.”

This pivot is also evident beyond Mumbai, with brands exploring key pandals in Pune and other urban centres. As Parab summed it up, the 2025 brief is no longer about choosing between mass and niche but striking a balance, being present where the crowds are while forging meaningful connections where they matter most.

Learnings from Kumbh Mela 

The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela showed brands what scale and purpose can achieve. With over 663 million ritual visits and marketing spends upwards of ₹1,800 crore, it turned into a playground for tech-enabled, service-led campaigns

These tried-and-tested strategies are also influencing Ganesh Chaturthi this year. “The Kumbh Mela proved that seva is the new media,” said Yuvrraj Agarwaal. “At Ganeshotsav, brands are replicating that with shaded waiting zones, hydration ATMs, and medical desks. Solve a devotee’s problem, and you win both mindshare and heartshare.”

For Tarun Pugalia, it’s about translating grandeur into local relevance. “While Kumbh Mela’s sanctuaries set a grand benchmark, we’re now witnessing a demand for ‘scaled-down sanctuaries’ at local pandal spaces where technology meets tradition in a way that feels authentic to the community. It’s not replication, it’s reimagination.”

Briefs for Ganpati 2025 reflect that evolution with AR blessing hubs, e-prasad ordering, branded wayfinding and eco-conscious modular structures that are immersive, helpful and culturally rooted.

As Day 2 of Ganeshotsav 2025 unfolds, brands are finding that emotional connection with devotees resonates more than mere visibility. Early signs point to a festival where creativity thrives despite stricter regulations, and where making people feel something matters more than simply being noticed.