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While many brands focused on creating creative ad films during Durga Puja, others opted for on-ground activations to engage audiences through interactive campaigns. Instamart was one such brand to carry out on-ground activation during the festival in Kolkata.
The brand launched the ‘InstaUllulympics,’ a modern take on the traditional ‘ullu-ullu’ cheer. The campaign was executed both at Singhi Pandal and via its app, allowing participants to compete for festive gifts while highlighting the localised Durga Puja assortment and the 10-minute delivery promise.
Blending cultural elements with innovative engagement, the activation aimed to connect with the pandal visitors and digital audiences alike, setting the stage for a festive campaign.
Category introduction
The Indian quick commerce industry, estimated at over Rs 64,000 crore (USD 7.8 billion) in 2025, is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 142% from FY22 to FY25 (CareEdge). Furthermore, the Indian quick commerce market is poised to hit $57 billion by 2030 on rising demand beyond metros (Morgan Stanley). And it's not just the volume of orders that's growing; the average basket size is increasing too, as more consumers turn to QC for planned purchases, not just last-minute needs.
The industry is witnessing unprecedented growth driven by urban convenience, evolving consumer expectations, and technological innovation. Q-commerce platforms are redefining last-mile delivery by offering groceries, essentials, festive products, electronics, and even high-value items like gold and smartphones within minutes, blending speed with reliability.
Brand introduction
Launched in August 2020, Instamart is a quick commerce platform. It offers products ranging from groceries to gold and protein powders to pet care, with over 35,000 SKUs available across 124 cities. The platform operates in Tier II and III cities with localised assortments and festival-specific offerings. Using Swiggy’s technology and delivery network, the brand provides groceries and daily essentials to consumers’ doorsteps within 10-15 minutes.
Summary
During Durga Puja, the brand introduced 'InstaUllulympics,' a fun, interactive game inspired by the traditional 'ullu-ullu' cheers. The activity was hosted at Singhi Pandal in Kolkata and launched on its app for users in the city. Participants competed with 'ullu-ullu-ullu-ullu' cheers to unlock festive gifts from the brand. The campaign reinforced its promise of delivering Puja essentials in 10 minutes. The brand also localised its assortment for the festival, offering items like Dhunuchi, Sankha Pola Noya sets, traditional Bengali sarees, and VIP pandal passes.
Objective
- To celebrate the spirit of the Durga Puja season in Kolkata in a fun, interactive way
- To reinforce the brand's promise of quick delivery (10 minutes) for all Puja essentials
- To make Puja shopping entertaining and easy
- To highlight the localised assortment of festive essentials for Durga Puja
Brief
Create an engaging and entertaining brand experience at one of Kolkata’s largest Durga Puja pandals, designed to immerse visitors in the festive spirit through a playful reimagination of the traditional 'ullu-ullu' cheer ritual. The activation should bring alive the cultural vibrancy of Puja while highlighting Instamart’s core promise, delivering every festive essential in just 10 minutes.
The experience should seamlessly blend tradition and modern convenience, showcasing how the brand is making Puja shopping effortless, quick, and enjoyable for today’s digital-first generation. Through interactive installations, gamified engagement, and vibrant visual storytelling, the activity should celebrate the energy, joy, and togetherness that define Durga Puja.
The objective is to make every visitor experience the fun and ease of festive shopping with the brand, reinforcing that everything needed for Puja celebrations is just a click and 10 minutes away. The activation should position the brand not just as a delivery platform, but as a festive enabler that combines technology, speed, and culture to bring celebrations closer to every home.
Creative idea
Taking the traditional 'ullu-ullu' cheer, a ritual where pandals host competitions for the longest cheer in a single breath, and giving it a modern, interactive twist. The campaign was named 'InstaUllulympics'.
Challenges
- Ensuring the app version accurately and reliably detects the 'ullu-ullu' chant, especially across various smartphone models, microphone qualities, and background noise levels in Kolkata
- Singhi Pandal is noted as one of Kolkata’s busiest. Managing the large crowds, keeping the competition flowing smoothly, and ensuring fair play for a time-sensitive (10-minute) game would be complex
- Successfully localising the assortment for high-demand items like Dhunuchi, Sankha Pola Noya sets, and Bengali sarees during a peak festive season, and delivering them within the 10-minute promise in a city like Kolkata
Execution
- On-ground activation: A game was hosted at Singhi Pandal, one of Kolkata’s busiest pandals. The challenge was structured across five levels, starting from sweets, beauty products, and sarees, all the way up to premium brass and silver products at level five. The longer participants kept the 'ullu-ullu' going, the higher they climbed through the levels. Those who unlocked the goodies within 10 minutes walked away with them.
- Digital/app integration: InstaUllulympics was accessible on the Instamart App for users in Kolkata who couldn't visit the pandal. Users joined by activating mic access on the app. The longer they chanted, the longer the catalog scrolled, increasing their chances of winning exclusive Instamart goodies.
- Product assortment Localisation: The brand localised its assortment for Durga Puja, offering items like Dhunuchi and Sankha Pola Noya sets, traditional Bengali sarees, and VIP pandal passes.
Promotion and amplification strategy
To maximise InstaUllulympics’ reach, the team amplified the on-ground buzz through a robust influencer and content strategy. Reels, shorts, and stories showcased the festive energy, while UGC-driven hashtags extended organic visibility. Collaborations with micro-influencers across Tier II and III cities further deepened local engagement and community participation.
On-ground activity
- Pandal activation during the festival attracted 5L visitors and reached over 20k people, reinforcing Instamart’s on-ground presence
- The activity generated153K in-app impressions, while social media amplification extended reach to 6.5M, driving strong cross-platform visibility
Results
Quantitative
- Total footfall: Approximately 5 lakh visitors witnessed the InstaUllulympics activation at Singhi Park, Kolkata
- Participant engagement: Over 700 participants actively took part in the activity across two days
- Gifting milestone: All 500 gifts were distributed by the end of the activation, underscoring high participation and enthusiasm levels
- Crowd interaction: The response was so overwhelming that the activity had to be temporarily paused for crowd management, reflecting exceptional on-ground engagement
- The activity generated over 40+ media stories across advertising and marketing media, and local Kolkata media
- The activity drove significant in-app engagement, 153k in-app impressions
- The social media amplification around the activation achieved an impressive reach of over 6.5 million, further extending the campaign’s visibility and impact.
Qualitative
- The activation emerged as a crowd magnet, blending nostalgia with a modern twist on the 'ullu-ullu' cheer, and successfully captured the festive energy of Durga Puja, reinforcing the brand's cultural relevance and strong emotional connection with local audiences
Mayur Hola, Head of Brand at Swiggy, said, “The campaign brought Puja energy to life both online and on-ground. On the app, we saw over 1.53 lakh impressions, while our social media amplification reached 6.5 million people, taking the festive buzz far beyond the pandals. It wasn’t just about visibility, it was about keeping the ‘ullu-ullu’ spirit alive across every touchpoint, while showcasing Instamart’s festive assortment, thoughtfully localised with everything from puja essentials and sweets to gifts and festive favourites that make celebrations truly complete.”