Adland's top festive ad picks (part five)

Here's what Bang In The Middle's Prathap Suthan and Bang Bang Mediacorp's Roopak Saluja picked as their most-liked pieces of work.

Amidst the barrage of festive communication coming our way, Manifest asked the advertising, marketing and media community to share their most-liked piece of work from all time.

This article was originally published in our November issue (which can be bought here). We’re featuring the advertising industry's favourite works, sharing two selections at a time in alphabetical order.

Here are the top picks from Bang In The Middle's Prathap Suthan and Bang Bang Mediacorp's Roopak Saluja.

Prathap Suthan, managing partner and chief creative officer, Bang In The Middle

I have many favourite festival ads, but somehow, this ad speaks louder to me these days.

Allegro, a Polish e-commerce platform, touched most of my warm spots with its ‘Bardzo’ ad. A simple tale of a grandfather learning English to communicate with his granddaughter in London. Though the setting is Polish, the sentiment is something many of us understand too well: the struggle to keep pace with the shifting tides of family life.

Once, our homes were bustling trees, with roots and branches growing together. Now, those branches spread further, crossing borders, cultures, and sometimes even languages. As children settle in far-off cities or marry into different traditions, grandparents are left learning new ways to stay connected.

Allegro’s ad mirrors this quiet determination.

The empty nest feels a little more empty these days. Not just because children move away, but because they move into entirely different worlds. New rituals, new festivals, new languages – all of these can make grandparents feel like visitors in their own family. The warmth is there, but there’s an invisible barrier that makes holding on a little harder.

Like the grandfather in Allegro’s ad, many of us find ourselves learning new languages, both literal and metaphorical. We fumble with technology, adapt to unfamiliar customs, even pick up phrases from another tongue, all in the name of love and connection.

As Diwali approaches, this message feels even more meaningful. Diwali is a festival of light, of breaking through darkness and bridging the gaps between us. It’s a time for families to come together, but in this modern world, those gaps seem wider than ever. Distance, both physical and cultural, often leaves grandparents feeling on the outside.

Allegro’s ad is more than just a sweet story. It’s a reminder that the heart finds ways to bridge distances – whether those are measured in miles, languages, or traditions. We might not always speak the same words, but we still speak the same love. And that’s always worth the effort. This is certainly one of my all-time favourite festival ads.

Roopak Saluja, founder and executive chairperson, Bang Bang Mediacorp

British Christmas ads are a thing in our business - year after year, there’s always a gem or two that emerge. While John Lewis and most other brands tug at your heartstrings, I love how Harvey Nichols tends to do the opposite and get real by exposing the not-so-great aspects of human nature in a hilarious manner. ‘Sorry, I Spent It On Myself’ from 2013 is a clear winner that came to mind when Manifest asked for my favourite.