Diwali Lambi Chale
Strategic pitch developed at Dentsu Creative.
The Brief
A legacy bank was navigating a shift in regulatory guidance, RBI was discouraging banks to over-rely on large corporate deposits. This prompted a renewed focus on retail savers, a segment typically overshadowed during festive marketing bursts.
The ask: Develop a Diwali campaign strategy that not only attracted individual depositors but did so by rethinking how consumers emotionally and financially experience the festival.
My Role: led consumer insight mining, conducted category analysis, and crafted the brand’s strategic direction for the campaign pitch.
The Insight
Through cultural immersion, spending data analysis, and behavioral pattern review, we uncovered a deep emotional contradiction in how Indians approach Diwali:
1
Consumer spending spikes by 20–25% during Diwali, driven by irresistible offers across sectors like electronics, automobiles, and fashion.
2
Purchases are less rational and more emotional, often tied to gifting, celebration, and traditional beliefs of prosperity.
3
Many individuals experience a sense of financial depletion after the festival, often captured in the colloquial lament: “Diwali ne diwala nikal diya.”
4
There’s a cultural dissonance: Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is welcomed into homes during Diwali but much of that wealth is spent or gone by the end of it.
The Strategy
We shifted the brand’s role from facilitator of festive spending to guardian of lasting prosperity.
The strategic pivot: “Start with saving to make your celebrations last longer.”
This turned the savings product into an emotional insurance, helping consumers hold on to that festive feeling even after the celebrations were over.
Content Approach
The campaign narrative followed a relatable arc:
1. The Excitement – Capturing the joy, chaos, and temptations of Diwali shopping.
2. The Regret – Reflecting the common post-festival sentiment of “I went overboard.”
3. The Solution – Introducing a subtle behavioral change: set aside a portion for savings before spending.
4. The Payoff – A celebration that not only feels good in the moment but feels smart afterward too.
Tone-wise, the language leaned into cultural familiarity while introducing a fresh, almost contrarian message in a sea of spend-heavy festive ads.