/socialsamosa/media/agency_attachments/PrjL49L3c0mVA7YcMDHB.png)
/socialsamosa/media/media_files/2025/11/12/yearbook-2025-11-12-14-50-28.jpg)
Follow Us/socialsamosa/media/media_files/2025/11/19/pulse-chatth-puja-2025-11-19-12-58-34.png)
Pulse launched a regional extension of its long-running Pulse of India initiative with 'The Pulse of Festive Run: Chhath Edition,' a mobile-first 3D game designed to deepen the brand’s connect in East India during Chhath Puja. Built around a virtual ghat environment, the experience invited users to collect ritual essentials while navigating obstacles, with Pulse candies integrated as in-game power-ups. The campaign aimed to merge cultural authenticity with youth-friendly digital play, supported by social media promotions and a dedicated microsite. It generated over 30 million reach, 25,000 game plays in the first week, and thousands of shareable festive cards, earning positive reception from users and wide media coverage for its culturally grounded, interactive approach.
Category introduction
As per the Passport Euromonitor International Report on Sugar Confectionery in India (October 2025), the Indian sugar confectionery category is valued at over INR 12,300 crore in 2025 and continues to thrive with a CAGR of 6.7% from 2020 to 2025.
Brand introduction
Pulse candy, a brand from the Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group), reported consumer-level sales of more than ₹750 crore in FY 2024–25, which corresponds to around 750 crore units sold over the year. According to industry data, Pulse has been one of the most widely distributed products in India’s hard-boiled candy category for nearly a decade. The brand has recorded a three-year CAGR of 15%, compared with the category’s 9% growth rate, and currently holds an estimated 19% share of the hard-boiled candy market.
Marketing objective
This initiative serves as a regional extension of the Pulse of India campaign, with Chhath chosen for its strong cultural relevance across East India, thereby strengthening Pulse’s emotional and brand resonance within this key geography. The campaign was specifically designed to transform the profound festive devotion integral to Chhath Puja into an immersive, three-dimensional gaming experience. The campaign serves the dual purpose of engaging the youth while simultaneously honouring the deep-rooted and cherished traditions of this significant festival. Designed for Gen Z and digital-first youth, the campaign captures the spirit of Chhath through play, creativity and cultural pride, making it engaging and entertaining in today’s connected world.
Summary
This initiative is a part of the long-running Pulse of India campaign, which celebrates India’s festivals, culture and traditions through innovative campaigns. The Pulse of Festive Run: Chhath Edition brings the devotion and colour of Chhath Puja alive through a playful, 3D experience. It also emphasises symbolic design, with dawn-to-sunrise visuals representing the essence of Chhath rituals.
Users are invited to engage with a gamified version of the festival, set against a beautifully rendered 3D ghat (riverbank) environment, players collect Chhath essentials such as sugarcane, fruits, and diyas etc while dodging playful obstacles. Pulse candies appear as power-ups, infusing the gameplay with brand recall and delight. Each thrilling run culminates in a personalised festive greeting card, allowing users to share their Chhath joy across social platforms, turning tradition into a shareable and celebratory experience. The campaign aims to create high-impact digital engagement and amplify Pulse’s brand love across the country.
Problem Statement/Objective
The idea was to reinforce Pulse’s connect and continued engagement among festivity during one of the largest festival, Chhath Pooja, in East India. The objective was to reimagine how a festival could be expressed through a gamified experience, keeping the cultural reverence intact while appealing to modern, digital-native audiences. Brand also wanted to build up a deeper regional connect hence strategically planned this.
Brief
To create a mobile-first gamified experience under the Pulse of India series that:
Celebrates the essence of Chhath Puja in a contemporary, youth-friendly manner.
Encourages participation through play, challenge, and shareability.
Highlights Pulse’s commitment and strength in blending cultural heritage with cutting-edge digital innovation
Builds engagement and conversation around the brand during the festive period.
Creative idea
Pulse reimagined the festive essence of Chhath Puja through an immersive digital festive run that transformed devotion into motion. In this gamified experience, players embarked on a symbolic journey across virtual ghats (riverbank), collecting pooja essentials and Pulse candies that boosted their speed, representing energy, joy, and momentum. Inspired by the serene mornings of Chhath, the game’s design beautifully blended traditional elements with modern digital storytelling. By fusing cultural heritage with gaming innovation, Pulse turned a ritual often observed into a celebration experienced, digitally. The campaign reflected the brand’s commitment to celebrating India’s cultural vibrancy in fresh, creative ways, strengthening Pulse’s connection with today’s tech-savvy, culturally rooted youth.
Challenges
Balancing festive sensitivity with creative playfulness.
Translating the nuanced rituals of Chhath into an interactive format without diluting authenticity.
Ensuring seamless mobile performance across devices and bandwidths.
Execution
The campaign went live on microsite www.pulsekapandal.in, a website dedicated for festive promotion that is regularly updated with new Pulse of India content. Earlier, it featured a gamified campaign around Navratri/Durga Pooja.
/socialsamosa/media/post_attachments/791c3f8c-23a.png)
The game was launched with promotions across Instagram and Facebook supported by small video content, teaser reels and performance-driven creatives encouraging users to play. The digital communication adopted a tone of celebration and youth energy, connecting the traditional devotion of Chhath with the thrill of gaming.
Results
Quantitative
30+ million reach, with 0.7 million people visiting the campaign website
25K game plays within 7 days.
6.8K custom greeting card generated and shared on social media
Qualitative
It received coverage in Social Samosa, Dailyhunt and Bihar-specific media houses such as Rashtriya Khabar, Nai Soch Express, Indian Retailer, etc.
Reinforced Pulse’s brand persona as tech-savvy, creative, and youth-centric.
Positive user sentiment and social chatter around #PulseOfIndia
Arvind Kumar, Senior General Manager, Marketing, Confectionery, DS Group said, “Indian festivals are moments of collective joy, faith and identity that unite people. DS Group is deeply committed to this spirit through the ‘Pulse of India’ campaign. Pulse candy always aligns itself with the customs and celebrations that matter most to people across India. This approach will continue to evolve, with "Pulse of India" becoming synonymous with the "Festivals of India," celebrating all major festivals as it connects deeply with both the traditions and emotions of these celebrations. Our Pulse of Festive Run: Chhath Edition campaign engages today’s digital generation through gamification, making Pulse candy an essential part of how India comes together to celebrate its festivals.”