Case Study: How Sunrise Spices celebrated Durga Puja through rhythm and stories

Set against Bengal’s strong cultural and culinary traditions, the ITC Sunrise Spices’ campaign explored how food, art, and community converge during Durga Puja. The brand marked the 2025 festival with Dhaaki Utsav and Pujor Satkahon - two initiatives that honoured the state’s traditional drummers and local puja committees through live performances, storytelling, and documentation. Together, they highlighted the human and cultural essence behind Bengal’s grandest celebration.

Category introduction

The Indian spices market is shaped not only by taste but also by its close association with local culture, identity, and tradition. In Bengal, food is deeply linked with festivals, where aromas evoke nostalgia and each celebration tells a story. Durga Puja, the state’s largest festival, represents this connection through devotion, art, and collective expression.

Within this cultural landscape, brands that engage genuinely with Bengal’s traditions are often seen as participants in its story rather than advertisers.

Brand introduction

For years, the brand has remained a familiar presence in kitchens across Eastern India. It holds a long-standing association with the region’s culinary and cultural traditions, where food is often linked with nostalgia.

Over the years, the brand has focused on reflecting the people, art, and traditions that characterise Eastern India. Its festive initiatives have been centered on the idea that culture shapes the distinct flavour of every region. Through campaigns combining traditional themes with contemporary narratives, the brand continues to highlight its connection with Bengal’s heritage and the broader culinary identity of the East.

Summary

In Durga Puja 2025, the brand celebrated Bengal’s festive essence through two initiatives - Sunrise Dhaaki Utsav and Sunrise Pujor Satkahon.

Dhaaki Utsav: A grand tribute to Bengal’s traditional drummers, the Dhaakis - whose beats mark the beginning of Pujo. Held at Kumartuli Ghat on Mahalaya, the event was led by percussion maestro Pandit Tanmoy Bose and Padma Shri Gokul Dhaki, bringing together 200+ Dhaakis for a historic live performance and the unveiling of the Sunrise Durga Puja Anthem.

Pujor Satkahon: A storytelling movement that celebrated Bengal’s diverse para pujas beyond Kolkata. Over 1,500 puja committees participated, sharing stories of devotion and creativity. The most compelling 250 stories were curated into a Coffee Table Book, launched by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ishaa Saha, Sudipa Chatterjee, and Anirban Pandalwala - turning Bengal’s festive moments into an enduring archive.

Together, the two initiatives captured Bengal’s rhythm and narrative - where beats met stories, and heritage met modernity.

Problem Statement / Objective

Durga Puja, Bengal’s largest festival, is a celebration of the region’s creativity, community, and devotion. Within this cultural context lies an opportunity to honour the unsung heroes and unheard stories that make the celebration so extraordinary.

For the brand, the objective was to highlight the cultural and human aspects of the festival by:

• Celebrating the Dhaakis, whose beats awaken every Pujo with energy and devotion.
• Amplifying community voices, capturing stories from across towns and villages that embody the festival’s true spirit.
• Reinforcing the brand’s role as a cultural companion, one that honours the state’s artistry, emotion, and shared pride.
• Fostering deeper emotional connection with consumers by transforming Pujo from a visual spectacle into a human story of rhythm, reverence, and togetherness.

Creative Idea

The creative thought was to celebrate the heartbeats and the voices of Bengal’s Pujo.

• Through Rhythm (Dhaaki Utsav): The thundering beats of Bengal’s Dhaakis were elevated to a cultural spectacle. Tanmoy Bose composed and led the Sunrise Durga Puja Anthem, performed live at Kumartuli Ghat - a homage to Bengal’s devotion and energy.
• Through Stories (Pujor Satkahon): Bengal’s smaller communities were invited to share their Pujo tales, capturing how faith and creativity unite even in the most modest pandals. These stories were later immortalised in the Pujor Satkahon Coffee Table Book.

The result, a dual tribute to the state’s rhythm and narrative, connecting tradition with emotion.

Execution

On-Ground Activation - Dhaaki Utsav

• The event took place at Kumartuli Ghat on Mahalaya.
• Led by Pandit Tanmoy Bose and Padma Shri Gokul Dhaki, featuring 200+ Dhaakis performing in unison.
• The anthem launch amplified scale of the celebration.
• Media coverage extended across print, television, digital, and regional platforms.

Storytelling & Community Engagement - Pujor Satkahon

• Involved over 1,500 puja committees across Bengal.
• The initiative witnessed participation from committees across towns and villages.
• Selection of 250 stories compiled into a Coffee Table Book - a cultural chronicle of Bengal’s festive pride.
• The launch event included a short film screening capturing the campaign’s journey from storytelling to Sindoor Khela.

Results

Quantitative

• Over 1,500 Puja committees participated across Bengal.
• 250 stories documented in the Coffee Table Book.
• Over 242 clips garnered from print, online, television and social media. 
• Coverage in outlets such as Sanmarg, Bartaman, Grihashobha, Aaj Tak and News18 Bengali.
• Audience reach across TV and digital channels through the Dhaki Utsav telecast.
• Sunrise Dhaaki content received over 2.5 million views and 50,000 likes on Instagram, with 200,000+ views on YouTube.
• Sunrise Satkahon recorded 8 million views and 300,000 likes on Instagram, and its e-book saw over 10,000 downloads.

Qualitative

• Strengthened the brand’s association with Bengal’s cultural heritage.
• Earned acclaim from artists, communities, and cultural leaders.
• Fostered emotional connection with audiences through authentic cultural storytelling.
• Reinforced the brand’s long-term positioning - “Born in Bengal, made for every Bengali.”

Through Dhaaki Utsav and Pujor Satkahon, the brand highlighted various aspects of Bengal’s cultural heritage. By acknowledging the contributions of artisans and community groups, the initiatives aimed to combine cultural preservation with contemporary engagement, reflecting the region’s enduring festive spirit.

Piyush Mishra, Business Head, ITC Spices, said, “Durga Puja is more than a festival - it is Bengal’s collective heartbeat. With Dhaaki Utsav and Pujor Satkahon, Sunrise sought to honour both the rhythm and the stories that make this celebration timeless. From the thunderous beats at Kumartuli to the voices from Bengal’s paras, we wanted to pay tribute to the people who keep Pujo’s soul alive. For us, this isn’t just brand activity - it’s our homage to Bengal’s culture and its custodians.”