August marks the time when the advertising calendar adorns itself in festive colours. The air changes. Raksha Bandhan arrives with its familiar knots, tiffs and acceptance; Independence Day brings the flag, but also a chance to ask what freedom looks like; and Onam opens the door to a distinctly regional rhythm of food, family and tradition. Brands, through this month, test the waters for the long festive stretch ahead, finding new ways to enter conversations that audiences know well, yet yearn for. What has been interesting this year is the gamut of work that has resisted repeating conventional cues. And since they disrupt without trying too hard, while having a way with our hearts, we list IMPACT’s five best picks for you from August 2026. Our list looks above and beyond the festive brief, to also showcase ads that caught our eye for their distinctiveness.
Campaign: ‘Real Greetings’
Silence may sometimes look like distance. ‘Real Greetings’ toys with that assumption. Initially, in the film, the brother seems lost on his tablet, barely responding to his sister. Unable to hear or speak, she tries to get him to play with her, communicating through sign language via their parents. But on Raksha Bandhan, it’s revealed that he was learning sign language to directly communicate with her. And instantly, every moment leading up to this point looks different. What looked like a brother refusing to communicate was actually his preparation to speak his sister’s language. The film’s closing line, ‘Lafzon ke aage kuch aise hai dhage,’ neatly concludes the thought.
Brand: Dabur India (Real Fruit Juice)
Agency: LOM Worldwide
Creator: Pallavi Malhotra, Creative Director, LOM Worldwide
Campaign: ‘Freedom Bottle’
As a woman, how freely do you really travel when even drinking water needs a second thought? redBus through its ‘Freedom Bottle’ campaign film highlights that often overlooked question. In the film, a woman confidently states there is nothing a man can do that they cannot, until they are asked if they would drink water freely on a bus. Suddenly, a hint of doubt underlines their answers. Uncertain access to washrooms was the deterrent. redBus turns this compromise into its Travel Equal initiative. Released for Independence Day, the campaign gives ‘freedom’ a surprisingly literal meaning.
Brand: Redbus
Agency: Leo India
Creator: Pravin Sutar, National Creative Director, Leo India
Campaign: ‘Your Way is Beautiful’
Every woman must have had moments wherein she’s felt a stare last longer than it should. Titan Raga turns that familiar discomfort into an unexpected, graceful ending. In the film, Alia Bhatt notices a man staring at her across a restaurant. When she discovers he’s married, she walks over to his wife and tells her that she’s stunning. Then comes the line that quietly flips the situation: ‘How do you ever keep your eyes off her?’ No confrontation, no grand speech. A sharp remark saying plenty, leaving him to deal with the awkwardness.
Brand: Titan Raga
Agency: Ogilvy South
Creator: Puneet Kapoor, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South
Campaign: ‘Entertainment Ka Pardah’
There is always that one window in every neighbourhood that seems to know more than the people living inside it. Flipkart & Netflix’s ‘Entertainment Ka Pardah’ utilises that very Indian habit of neighbourly peeking. As people gather at a window to dissect a TV drama, the film reveals they are actually watching the neighbours, not Netflix. The concept gets better with every detail; they judge the on-screen boyfriend and even analyse his salary. But the whole situation is brought to an end with a physical ‘pardah’, shielding the family from prying eyes and helping the neighbours find a far better source of entertainment.
Brand: Flipkart
Agency: Talented
Creator: Eesha Sharma, Malvika Thirani & Aditi Gujaran, Creatives, Talented
Campaign: ‘Loans Without Any Hiccups’
Sachin Tendulkar has enjoyed being credited for anything going right on a cricket field for years. Kissht turns that fact into an interesting campaign. The film shows Tendulkar, their brand ambassador, not getting through even a sentence without a hiccup. The reason: borrowers keep remembering him every time a Kissht loan gets approved in five minutes. What follows is an escalation of comic instances with futile attempts to cure him—by asking him to hold his breath or puff out his cheeks. Eventually, the punchline lands—if loans are getting approved that quickly, the brand ambassador barely gets a moment’s peace.
Brand: Kissht
Agency: Braindad
Creator: Vishal Dayama, Founder, Braindad
