Creative Diwali Campaigns by Global Brands That Got It Right

Diwali is no longer just a festival celebrated in India. From the UK and Canada to the Middle East and Australia, growing South Asian communities are keeping their cultural traditions alive, and brands are taking notice. No wonder there has been a rise in Diwali campaigns aimed at the Indian and Hindu audiences outside India. 

The crucial aspect of culturally-focused campaigns like those for Diwali is that they need to go beyond promotions and focus on meaningful connections. And creating successful Diwali campaigns in markets where the festival is still gaining traction isn’t as simple as adding a few diyas and other Diwali symbols to your ad. 

So today we’ll explore some of the popular Diwali campaigns from well-known brands around the world and break down what marketers can learn from them. 

Ready? Let’s go!

Diwali Marketing Outside India – The Opportunities & Challenges 

Marketing Diwali outside India comes with its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. Knowing and tackling them is how brands can make the most of this opportunity without coming off as culturally insensitive. So, why do Diwali campaigns matter outside India? Let’s talk about the opportunities the occasion presents. 

Data shows that around 1 billion people around the world celebrate Diwali, including communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. That translates to a huge opportunity for brands. Besides, campaigns that tap into the themes relevant to Diwali, like family gatherings, the spirit of gifting, and the celebration of the victory of good over evil, spark conversations and grab the attention of niche audience groups. And this brings with it a great opportunity to position your brand as inclusive and culturally aware in increasingly multicultural markets.

But what about the challenges when it comes to executing Diwali campaigns outside India? You need to avoid clichés and stereotypical representations in your ads. There is also the risk of oversimplifying or even misrepresenting the festival. The key to overcoming these challenges is to understand the festival better and also the nuances of Diwali marketing. For more strategies to make Diwali campaigns work, let’s look at some examples from famous brands around the world. 

7 Diwali Campaigns From Global Brands + Key Takeaways

1. Petronas – “Akka” 

In 2021, right when things were getting back to normal post the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysian national oil and gas company, Petronas, came up with a content-focused Diwali campaign titled “Akka”. The word “akka” in Tamil translates to older sister. 

The fully animated web film was a loose adaptation of the ancient Indian epic of Ramayana, drawing parallels between the story’s triumph of light over darkness and the struggles Malaysians faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Petronas created this campaign for the Malaysian market, a diverse country with a significant Indian diaspora. The use of the Tamil word “Akka” and the adaptation of a well-known Indian epic demonstrated a deep understanding and appreciation for the local Indian-Malaysian community.

KIMP Tips: 

Let’s talk about a few key takeaways from the campaign:

• Go beyond the surface – this campaign connected through a story relevant to the festival, making the campaign feel authentic.
• Embrace localized culture – the Petronas Diwali campaign, in addition to borrowing from Indian culture, adapted it for a Malaysian context.

2. Mattel’s Diwali Barbie 

Collaborating with renowned Indian couturier Anita Dongre, global toy brand Mattel created the first-ever Diwali Barbie. The doll, released as a limited edition, wore a special outfit from Dongre’s “Moonlight Bloom” collection, featuring a lehenga, choli, and a floral koti vest accurately embracing the Diwali vibe. In short, the ensemble was designed to reflect the elegance of a modern Indian woman while paying homage to the traditional craftsmanship of rural Indian artisans.

The doll was launched and made available in the global market, including major retailers in the United States, such as Target and Amazon, as well as on Mattel’s own website. This was a direct effort to target the South Asian diaspora and its growing influence in international markets, as well as collectors worldwide who appreciate cultural representation.

KIMP Tips:

• Focus on authentic collaboration – Mattel’s Diwali campaign was more than just a simple nod to the festival. By partnering with Anita Dongre, a designer who has built her brand on empowering rural women artisans and preserving traditional Indian crafts, Mattel ensured the campaign’s authenticity and depth. 
• Have a clear objective. In this case, the campaign’s core message, as articulated by both brands, was about empowering young girls and celebrating cultural pride. 

3. SWISS International Air Lines – ‘Home is Where Your People Are’

For Diwali, SWISS International Air Lines (SWISS) launched a 360-degree campaign titled “Home is where your people are”. It was a highly successful initiative that included a digital ad film, a User-Generated Content (UGC) contest, influencer collaborations, and on-ground activations. 

This Diwali campaign’s central theme was a redefinition of “home” for the modern Indian diaspora. Instead of the traditional “homecoming” narrative, it positioned home as a feeling, the joy of being with loved ones, regardless of location.

The multi-channel approach worked for the brand, demonstrating the need to think outside the box, especially during busy seasonal settings. 

The campaign focused not just on the Indian domestic market but on a global South Asian diaspora living far away from home. The campaign captured the struggles of being away from home during celebrations like Diwali. 

KIMP Tips: 

• Build a strong narrative – the SWISS’s campaign challenged the traditional perception of homecoming and highlighted that home is not a place but rather the people! 
• Capitalizing on user-generated content is one way to boost the momentum of any campaign, and it did pay off in the case of SWISS’s Diwali campaign as well. 

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4. Krispy Kreme UK – Diwali Donuts 

Considering the rapidly growing Indian audience in the UK market, Krispy Kreme UK periodically launches a limited-edition Diwali Donut range. These ​​are hand-decorated with designs inspired by the festival of lights. 

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The campaign fits seamlessly into Krispy Kreme’s style of launching themed donuts to tap into trends like their recent Harry Potter-themed donuts. 

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KIMP Tips: 

• Urgency drives action, especially during festivals. By restricting the availability of the limited-edition Diwali donuts to a short time window, Krispy Kreme created a buzz. 
• Tap into relevant symbolism to grab attention. From the details in the donut decoration to the filling, Krispy Kreme sweetened the celebration by curating the details to resonate with the festival and the audience. 

5. Ford Canada – “There’s No Escape Like Home”

Ford Canada’s Diwali campaign was centered around a digital film titled “There’s No Escape Like Home”. The ad featured a young Indian woman driving her Ford Escape SUV to her father’s house for Diwali. The film captures her journey and the emotional significance of the festival, highlighting the moments of preparation and the joy of a family reunion. 

The central message of the campaign was that the car isn’t just a mode of transport but a vehicle that enables the most meaningful connections and journeys, specifically, the journey home for the holidays. That’s a brilliant way of tying the brand and its products back to the festival without feeling forced and overly promotional. 

By creating a narrative that was emotionally authentic and culturally relevant, Ford aimed to build a deeper relationship with this community, positioning the Ford Escape as a trusted companion for life’s most important moments.

KIMP Tips: 

• Focus on the core theme instead of delving into the product. In this case, Ford did not focus on the car’s technical features or its strengths. Instead, it was integrated into the digital film seamlessly and in the least promotional way possible. 
• Paying attention to cultural themes. Staying culturally relevant is one of the most important requirements for any Diwali campaign, especially ones planned by global brands for the audience outside India. In this case, Ford built on the universal theme of Diwali that any Indian or Hindu consumer would relate to. 

6. When British Airways celebrated Diwali at Heathrow Terminal 5

British Airways is known for its unique Diwali campaigns, and a few years back, the brand planned a surprise on-the-ground activation at London’s Heathrow Terminal 5. 

To celebrate Diwali, British Airways surprised unsuspecting customers with a Bollywood-inspired flash mob performance right in the terminal’s check-in area. The performance, featuring a crew of 20 professional dancers and eight drummers in traditional attire, was designed to immerse travelers in the festive spirit, creating a memorable and unexpected experience that was then captured in a viral video. This caused a lot of buzz online. 

This campaign was strategically executed in a major international hub and targeted both passengers traveling for Diwali and the broader community of airport visitors in the UK. By bringing the celebration to an airport terminal, a place of travel and transition, British Airways connected with the Indian audience on the go, making their brand synonymous with the emotional journey of “homecoming” for a global community.

KIMP Tips: 

• In a digital-first world, live activation and experiential executions have a special place of their own. By staging a flash mob in a public space, British Airways generated real-time excitement and joy among its customers. Such live activations increase the impact and memorability of a brand. 
• Surprise your audience to actually initiate conversations. An airport is generally a place of stress and waiting. With its creative Diwali campaign, British Airways managed to redefine the mood of the space with its cheerful execution and surprised its audience. 

7. Macy’s – Sponsoring Community Celebrations in the U.S.

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Talking about real-world activations, they could be brand events or even brand-sponsored local events that matter to specific communities. In 2022, Macy’s Technology sponsored the Johns Creek Diwali Festival in Georgia, the first community-organized Diwali event in the state. 

This allowed Macy’s to connect with the local community through music, food, and fireworks, everything that captures the spirit of Diwali. Simultaneously, an internal celebration was held at the corporate office for Macy’s Technology employees, featuring traditional ceremonies, a fashion show, live music, games, and authentic Indian food. 

The event transformed the workplace into a festive Indian experience for all the employees. Given that employee advocacy plays a crucial role in a brand’s reputation, employee-focused campaigns like these can help a brand grab attention. 

What truly stood out here is that this Diwali campaign had a unique dual focus. The external target market was the Johns Creek community in Georgia, a city with a growing and vibrant South Asian population. The internal target market was Macy’s own employees, specifically those within the Macy’s Technology division. This approach demonstrated a commitment to celebrating Diwali both outwardly with customers and inwardly with its own people.

KIMP Tips: 

• Celebrate from the inside out. While most brands stick to campaigns for consumers, Macy’s complemented this approach with an internal celebration. Macy’s Diwali celebrations for its employees demonstrated the company’s commitment to cultural diversity and made its external celebration more authentic. 
• Choose hyper-local community engagement for maximum impact. Instead of a broad, nationwide campaign, Macy’s chose to focus on a very specific, local community in Johns Creek, Georgia. This helped Macy’s amplify its impact. 

Design Sparkling Diwali Campaigns With KIMP 

Offline ads, banners for live activations, branding designs for events, social media posts or even packaging tweaks for the festive season – Diwali campaigns feel incomplete without the right designs. That’s where we come in. While you work on your killer ideas, we work on your Diwali-ready designs to wow your audience. 

Ready to experience the KIMP difference this festive season? Register now and start your 7-day free trial!