Case Study: How Godrej Properties used drones & laser show for Pune's real estate debut

India’s residential real estate market is expanding steadily, supported by urbanisation, rising incomes, regulatory reforms and infrastructure growth. Pune, especially East Pune, has emerged as a high-demand micro-market due to connectivity, commercial development and end-user interest.

Godrej Properties' 'Symphony of Lights' campaign used a phased rollout combining digital outreach, hyperlocal activations, roadshows and a drone-and-laser show to create instant visibility and citywide buzz. Supported by a targeted digital strategy, the campaign generated social media reach, on-ground footfalls and brand recall.

Category Introduction

India’s residential real estate market is in a growth phase, driven by urbanisation, rising incomes, favourable demographics, and improving homebuyer confidence. Valued at over USD 300 billion, it is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~8-10%, with increasing preference for trusted, branded developers.

Demand is being shaped by lifestyle-led, wellness-focused, and future-ready homes across mid-income and premium segments, supported by RERA, stable interest rates, and infrastructure investment.

Pune, particularly East Pune, stands out as a high-potential micro-market with robust connectivity, expanding commercial hubs, and accelerating infrastructure, driving strong end-user demand and growing interest in thoughtfully planned, community-centric living.

Brand Introduction

Godrej Properties is a real estate brand. In FY 2024–25, it achieved pre-sales of Rs 29,400+ crore with over 15,000 homes sold pan-India. Pune remains a strategic growth market, with absorption across multiple micro-markets driven by demand, infrastructure, and economic activity.

Supported by a national pipeline and upcoming launches, the brand aims to remain future-focused. Its marketing objective is to lead in sales and scale while setting benchmarks in digital innovation, consumer engagement, storytelling, and experiential activations, delivering homes to people.

Summary

The brand made an entry into Pune’s real estate landscape with its multi-format launch campaign, Symphony of Lights - a city-level activation designed to create scale, spectacle and sustained recall.

The campaign unfolded through a structured, multi-phase rollout including digital teasers, a date reveal, hyperlocal newspaper insertions, city-wide LED truck roadshows, and curated invitation films for Channel Partners (CPs), Loyalty & Referral (LNR) customers, and senior leadership - ensuring comprehensive stakeholder coverage.

The culmination was a drone and laser show that transformed the Pune skyline into a visual symphony, aligning with the project’s brand narrative.

The campaign drove 6,000+ new social media followers, 500+ organic social mentions, 500+ on-ground walk-ins, along with significant citywide chatter and strong brand recall.

Problem Statement/Objective

As a new project of the quarter in a competitive real estate market, the Godrej Elaris launch faced three challenges that needed to be addressed simultaneously.

• Low visibility in a cluttered launch environment: Entering an already competitive & matured real estate landscape, the project faced the challenge of establishing an identity and recall.
• Restricted on-ground advertising opportunities: With limited scope for traditional outdoor and physical visibility due to regulatory and logistical constraints, the campaign needed to rethink how to achieve impactful city-level presence without overdependence on conventional formats in general and the micro market in particular.
• Need for high-impact, buzz at launch: Beyond basic awareness, the core requirement was to create an immediate, high-decibel moment that could spark conversation, social amplification and footfall within a very short launch window.

Brief

The agency was asked to execute a non-traditional event as per the given strategy that encompasses the following points:

• Overcomes competitive advertising blockages
• Makes the project easily locatable 
• Showcase the USPs in a visually stunning way
• Generate strong word-of-mouth and social media traction
• Position the brand as an innovative, premium development engagement.

Digital

To maximise lead generation, a comprehensive digital strategy was deployed across search, display, retargeting, and performance marketing channels.

• Search ads: Targeted high-intent keywords such as 'Magarpatta homes,' 'luxury Pune homes,' and Godrej brand terms to capture prospective buyers actively searching online.
• Custom Landing page: Developed a dedicated page for drone show registrations, driving RSVPs and capturing lead data.
• Retargeting campaigns: Re-engaged warm leads from previous campaigns to nurture interest and boost event attendance.
• Display advertising: Ran visually compelling banner ads highlighting the drone show and showcasing key project USPs to generate awareness and curiosity.
• Performance marketing: Optimised campaigns to convert digital interest into tangible lead enquiries, ensuring measurable post-event outcomes.

Results 

Quantitative:

• 20M+ social media impressions
• 6,000+ new social media followers
• 2,000+ witnessed the show live
• 500+ organic social media tags generated in a single night
• Significant spike in event footfalls across the venue
• 500+ drones deployed
• 12 LED vans covering high-footfall zones across the city

Qualitative:

The 'Symphony of Lights' campaign delivered a city-wide spectacle. The drone and laser show transformed the Magarpatta-Mundhwa skyline into a visual experience, while roadshows, way-boards, and targeted invites ensured every stakeholder was reached.

Celebrity appearances with Lalit Prabhakar and Riddhima Pandit and live social coverage aimed to amplify excitement, generating city-wide and industry-wide chatter across digital and on-ground platforms.

By combining technology, storytelling, and hyperlocal engagement, the campaign aimed to drive awareness and create an emotional connection, letting audiences experience the project’s USPs.

Commenting on the campaign, Vinayak Bhorkhade, Sr. General Manager - Marketing Head at Godrej Properties, said, “The ‘Symphony of Lights’ campaign was more than just a launch - it was a defining moment for Godrej Elaris and for our ambition to lead the future of real estate marketing. We aimed to set a new benchmark in how a residential project is unveiled, blending technology, creativity and ground activation to deeply engage both Pune’s home‑seekers and the industry at large. The result surpassed expectations: it drove outstanding reach and engagement, delivered high‑quality leads, and reinforced faith in our commitment to innovative, customer‑centric living experiences.” 

Pari Bhatkar, Co-Founder of Brands In Brief, added, "We founded Brands In Brief with a vision to create campaigns that blend creativity, strategy, and meaningful storytelling work that not only engages audiences but also leaves a lasting impact. Being trusted by Godrej Properties has been an incredible milestone for us, and we are sincerely grateful to Vinayak Bhorkhade and Arpita Mukherjee for believing in a young agency and giving us this opportunity. Symphony of Lights allowed us to showcase our 360-degree thinking, execute at scale, and push the boundaries of what a real estate event can be. Every project we take on is driven by the same passion: to understand, innovate, and deliver solutions that truly resonate with both brands and their audiences."