As the festive season approaches, every brand is caught up in the holiday advertising frenzy. With brands relying majorly on the familiar themes that evoke nostalgia and warmth, the real challenge arises when ads begin to blend.

This raised some key questions on our end: Is festive advertising losing its touch? How can brands leverage creativity to cut through the noise of generic holiday campaigns?  

T Gangadhar, co-founder, ZeroFifty Mediaworks and Vasudha Misra, president (creative), Lowe Lintas, share their thoughts.

Would you agree with the thought that most festive ads look the same?

T Gangadhar (TG): Sadly, I have to agree. The sea of sameness is all pervasive in advertising overall and gets even more pronounced during the festival season.

Vasudha Misra (VM): Yes and no. Usually, there is an overlap of emotion because each festival has its unique mood. But then there is diversity of narrative, of expression and in the choice of music.

What can agencies do to break through the clutter during the festive period, creating ads that truly connect with the consumer and instil a call to action?

TG: Left to my devices, I would say a simple execution of a festival-related truth is what one should strive for. With a suitable connection to the category, of course. Alas, this is easier said than done. Very often, a multitude of elements are forced into the message in a bid to juice out the ad, and therein lies the rub.

VM: It always comes back to the core of advertising - better insights and better craft. Which shouldn’t be so difficult given there is just so much more exposure today, so many more experiences around us.

When it comes to advertising during the festive period - does it make more sense to create transactional advertising versus emotional long-form ads?

TG: It’s never an either-or conundrum. One must do whatever has the best chance of getting the desired outcome.

VM: There cannot be any definitive answer to this. Every brand has its own set of challenges, and some brands may just be waiting for Diwali to talk offers, and promos while others might be waiting for festivals to truly connect with their target group.

Is it necessary for brands to invest in festive advertising when there’s little relevance to their core message?

TG: The need to invest comes from the relevance of the category. If it’s an important buying season for the category, I can’t imagine sitting out the festival season. Peak season means a lot of in-market customers and no marketer will turn away from that.

VM: It is not necessary at all. Festival time can be a bit like IPL when a lot of people are very active. However, there is a place for a contrarian point of view as well. To the general mood that prevails.

Is BTL now underutilised with a focus on digital? Can this approach be used effectively at the customer’s point of purchase?

TG: Given its nature, it’s hard to know how much of that is actually happening. When required (and budget permitting), brands do execute on-ground initiatives at the appropriate consumer touchpoints. What’s more commonplace now is having a controlled localised physical activity that is amplified across digital channels for reach.

VM: Yes, I agree. BTL feels a lot underutilised but that’s where the potential lies. How to truly look at BTL and explore it in means and ways that make it go viral.

(This article first appeared in the November issue of Manifest, part of the monthly Perspectives feature. Buy the copy here)