Why homecoming is at the heart of North Indian Diwali campaigns

When Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, the entire kingdom didn't just light diyas; they poured their relief, their joy, their collective exhale into every flame. Centuries later, that same ache and release pulse through every North Indian house during Diwali.

It's in the train platforms of Lucknow, packed with people clutching boxes of revdi and gajak. It's in the Punjabi mother who starts cooking three days early because her daughter is finally coming home from Bangalore. It's in the Rajasthani grandmother who cleans the house’s courtyards until they gleam, ready to welcome feet she's missed all year.

This is the North Indian Diwali, not just a festival of lights, but a festival of return.

"It's the feeling of return — to family, to faith, to familiarity," says Gaurav Kaushik, Founder of Nians, an ad agency based in Haryana. "North Indian Diwali is a reunion of hearts and heritage. Brands that honour this emotional geography — the warmth of the known — build the most lasting connections." 

Across the vast expanse of North India, Diwali arrives with different flavours but the same fundamental truth: home is where you must be. The Sikh community celebrates Bandi Chhor Divas to commemorate the release of the sixth Guru, Hargobind, from prison. In Uttar Pradesh, millions of diyas glow on the ghats of Ayodhya and Varanasi, and streets are filled with the aroma of Chandrakala, Jimikand, Tehri, Aloo-prui and more. 

This homecoming narrative isn't just a theme; it's the foundational truth that separates North Indian Diwali marketing from the rest of the country. While Southern campaigns lean into ritual purity with morning oil baths and temple bells, and Western India emphasises economic prosperity, ads in the Northern region focus on the unfiltered emotion of coming home.

Mayank Gaba - Creative Director, Sociowash Network says, “It’s a no-brainer to understand that in North advertising campaigns celebrating Diwali are majorly built around the theme of Lord Rama’s homecoming.”

Gaba further explains that campaigns often draw on the themes inspired by Lord Rama’s homecoming — illuminating lives, spreading happiness, celebrating new beginnings with loved ones, and finding hope in even the smallest moments.

Vibhor Gulati, co-founder of Defodio Digital (digital marketing agency from New Delhi) says, “In North India, Diwali stories are all about coming home, reconnecting, and reliving old traditions in new ways. Brands lean into that warm, familiar feeling.”

This can be seen in OPPO’s Diwali ad starring Ranbir Kapoor and Jitendra Kumar, who play college friends who moved cities and have come back to town for the festivals. As the two friends, along with others, reunite after ages, the warmth of their bond can be seen as they bicker about who will paint the rangoli, or when they video call the friend who couldn’t make it to the celebrations, and the simple pleasure of sharing home-cooked food. The ad captures the comforting chaos and togetherness of being surrounded by loved ones during Diwali.

The visuals of a North-Indian Diwali

North Indian Diwali advertising leans heavily on visual storytelling that is both immersive and emotionally resonant. As Vibhor Gulati observes, “North Indian Diwali storytelling thrives on immersion and emotion. Brands use cues like Ram Leela backdrops, illuminated bazaars, diyas on balconies, and marigold-laden streets to instantly ground their films in familiar festivity.” 

Birla Opus’ Diwali ad speaks this visual language fluently. The house glows with lights and festive decor, marigolds framing doorways, and diyas lit up everywhere. The family gathers, laughter echoing as children run around, and you can almost sense the aroma of sweets from the kitchen mingling in the air. Along with showing Diwali, the ad also captures the warmth and familiarity that the festival brings. 

Gulati mentions that these visually rich ads help build a sensory world that reflects the theme of homecoming and togetherness. He says, “ It’s less about grandeur and more about capturing real, lived celebration that audiences see in their own neighbourhoods.”

At the same time, there is a method to this visual immersion. Mayank Gaba points out that “brands mostly follow the sea of sameness for all the right reasons. Their communication always revolves around bright warm tones, decorative elements and over-the-top mnemonics… the basics remain the same, and this sameness helps brands blend in naturally with their target groups.”

The digital influence

Diwali storytelling is becoming increasingly digital-first, moving away from polished, high-budget TVCs to formats that feel immediate, relatable, and “scroll-worthy.” As Vibhor Gulati explains, “Instead of those perfect, big-budget TV ads, brands are now creating Reels that feel like they’re shot straight from someone’s living room or local market. It’s less about heavy production and more about capturing the chaos, laughter, and beauty of everyday celebration.”

Ritz Malik, Co-founder of Ritz Media World, highlights another trend, “Where we first used to see advertising focusing on large families and neighbourhoods coming together, we are now seeing storytelling focusing on an individual or a person-to-person interaction.” This micro-level approach allows audiences to see themselves in the content, creating a more intimate festive connection than the traditional sweeping family-centric narratives.

This shift has turned creators into the new directors of the festive narrative. Short-form videos, influencer collaborations, and regional OTT content allow brands to tap into the energy of real-life celebrations. “Reels make it easy for brands to join festive trends, hop on sounds, and tell bite-sized stories that feel alive in the moment. It’s Diwali the way people actually live it — imperfect, heartfelt, and full of light,” Gulati adds.

Today’s campaigns experiment with fresh trends, unpredictable formats, and inventive storytelling hooks. “Some are opening with smart hooks that stop your scroll, others are going completely raw and real, showing unfiltered festive chaos. Many are blending fusion concepts, unexpected edits, and offbeat transitions to keep their storytelling fresh. It’s a new era of Diwali marketing, one where you never know what format, platform, or creative twist a creator might try next,” says Gulati.

Flipkart collaborated with Raj Shamani and Pankaj Tripathi for their Big Billion Days sale, creating a playful narrative where the duo comment on Pankaj Tripathi’s ‘upgraded’ look — thanks to the new phone he bought during Flipkart’s sale. By mixing humour with an unlikely pairing, the brand built suspense and engagement around the product while keeping the tone festive and familiar. 

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A post shared by Raj Shamani (@rajshamani)

In another collaboration, Nothing roped in Samay Raina to voiceover their Diwali ad, taking a humorous dig at the clichés of traditional Diwali campaigns. Raina's deadpan delivery cuts through the usual sentimental messaging with the kind of knowing wink that younger audiences crave. The ad stands out for its fresh tone, relatability, which reflects a new wave of Diwali storytelling that respects the festival while refusing to take advertising too seriously.

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A post shared by Samay Raina (@maisamayhoon)

What should brands do next?

Diwali, while celebrated across India, takes on distinct flavours regionally, from the food and rituals to the stories, reasons, and even the specific days of celebration. Yet, these subtle differences are often overlooked in mainstream campaigns. In North India, despite the rich linguistic and cultural diversity, most Diwali ads are still created in Hindi or English, leaving a significant segment of the audience untapped. Homecoming remains the dominant theme in Northern campaigns, often highlighting families and festive reunions, but deeper regional storytelling is still largely unexplored.

To build authentic connections during North Indian Diwali, brands need to harmonise cultural rituals with contemporary consumer behaviour. As Mayank Gaba notes, “While certain old school rituals and practices remain intact, their execution has taken a modern approach. With the ongoing concept of wokeism, the consumer has become more concerned and conscious of how they are celebrating Diwali… brands don’t show fireworks in their ads at all to avoid disrupting the sentiment of their target groups.”

At the same time, the dominance of e-commerce offers new engagement opportunities. Gaba highlights, “Many E-Comm and Quick Comm brands put their best foot forward during Diwali and launch sale campaigns that are almost too good to be true. Look at Flipkart… slashing prices on the most desirable consumer goods by up to 80% during a festival known for new beginnings gives the audience another reason to interact with brands and build a relationship based on trust.”

Ritz Malik emphasises the power of trend-driven digital engagement: “The digitally active consumer… is highly incentivised to recreate current trends or be a part of them. It could be a specific pose, dance move, a fashion accessory, or a video edit; so the key here is maintaining social relevance.” At the same time, Malik warns, “We are slowly losing the core cultural relevance of Diwali… It’s our opportunity to leave all that behind and focus on what makes us and everyone around us happier.”

The magic of North Indian Diwali advertising lies not in what it shows, but in what it awakens. When a Delhi-based person watches an ad featuring a crowded train platform, she doesn't just see visuals; she remembers the weight of her suitcase, the anticipation building with each station announcement, the moment she spotted her father in the crowd. When a young man in Bangalore sees marigold strings and diyas, he can almost taste his grandmother's gajak, almost hear his mother's voice calling everyone to the evening aarti.

This is why homecoming as a narrative works; it evokes the feeling of homesickness so much so that they remember the feeling of ‘home’.

As Vibhor Gulati puts it, “No matter how far life takes you, Diwali has this magical pull that brings everyone back… When campaigns capture that authentic sense of belonging — the hugs, the teasing, the chaos, and the warmth of ‘ghar ki Diwali ’— they don’t just tell a story; they become part of someone’s own festive memory.”