Indian advertising is living in a curious moment where the past has begun to feel like the most powerful way forward. From jingles that once ruled airwaves to taglines etched in collective memory, brands are pulling their most iconic campaigns out of the archives and giving them a modern makeover. The intention is not mere sentimentality but strategy, nostalgia has become a currency that cuts through clutter, builds instant trust, and anchors a brand in both heritage and relevance.
This revival is visible across categories. Flite, the family fashion footwear brand from Relaxo, recently reintroduced its celebrated line 'Sar Utha, Kadam Badha' with a fresh film starring Sanya Malhotra. What was once a promise of comfort is now a story of confidence and individuality, told through Sanya’s own journey of ambition and grit. The film resonates with millions of everyday achievers and repositions Flite as more than footwear, it is now a partner in style and self-belief, repackaged for the digital age.
Kingfisher, meanwhile, has brought back its unforgettable 'O la la la leo' jingle, treating it not as an echo of the past but as a living cultural marker. The brand gave the tune a contemporary spin, collaborating with regional musicians, cricket teams, and even football legends to create new renditions. The essence of the jingle remained intact, but the format evolved for reels, hyperlocal campaigns, and digital-first storytelling. In doing so, Kingfisher showed that nostalgia can travel seamlessly into global sport and youth culture, carrying both heritage and modern swagger.
“Kingfisher’s ‘O la la la leo’ jingle is more than just a tune, it’s a cultural marker that has been part of India’s collective memory for decades. Bringing it back now felt timely because nostalgia is a powerful connector, but it was equally important for us to give it a contemporary spin that resonates with younger audiences. The decision was driven by the idea of blending familiarity with freshness, celebrating our legacy while staying relevant in today’s cultural conversations. We collaborated with regional artists and partnered with cricket teams to create hyperlocal tracks that blended sports fandom with contemporary music styles. The jingle was also reimagined in an acappella-style rendition with Argentina’s football legends, bridging global sport with Indian identity,” says Vikram Bahl, Chief Marketing Officer, United Breweries Limited.
Vikram further adds, “For us, the update wasn’t about simply replaying the old; it was about reimagining it for modern platforms and touchpoints. Whether through digital-first storytelling, reels-friendly edits, or high-impact collaborations across sport and culture, we ensured the essence of ‘O la la la leo’ remained intact while the format evolved with how people consume content today. Nostalgia, in our view, isn’t just a one-off burst. When done with intent, it can be a long-term lever that strengthens emotional affinity and builds intergenerational connections with the brand. ‘O la la la leo’ is proof of how legacy and modernity can come together to create experiences that are both timeless and timely.”
The personal care category, too, has leaned into memory. Vasmol recently brought back its classic 'Surakshit kaale mere baal, Vasmol ka kamaal,' this time fronted by Vidya Balan. The campaign tapped into the brand’s enduring promise of safe, trusted beauty while introducing innovations like henna crème and shampoo hair colour, formats tailored for a new generation that values natural ingredients and convenience. By keeping the soul of the jingle alive but adapting the message and medium to Instagram reels, OTT integrations, and social-first edits, the brand turned nostalgia into a bridge between its legacy and the aspirations of today’s Indian woman.
Priyanka Puri, Senior Vice President - Marketing, Hygienic Research Institute Pvt. Ltd (HRIPL) highlights, “Bringing back the iconic Vasmol jingle with Vidya Balan isn’t just a nod to our past — it’s a reimagining for today. The line ‘Surakshit kaale mere baal, Vasmol ka kamaal’ has always been a promise of safe, trusted beauty. With innovations like Vasmol Henna Crème and Vasmol Shampoo Hair Colour, we’re keeping that promise alive for a new generation that values both natural ingredients and convenience. We’ve kept the soul of the campaign intact while refreshing it across platforms Gen Z engages with — from Instagram reels to OTT integrations. This isn’t a one-off nostalgia play; it’s a long-term strategy to build emotional resonance by honouring our legacy while delivering contemporary, effortless hair colour formats for today’s Indian woman.”
These are not isolated cases. Britannia has re-launched its 'Britannia Khao, World Cup Jao' campaign, proving that a strong idea can outlast decades. Pepsi revived 'Yeh Dil Maange More' with Ranveer Singh, keeping the phrase alive for Gen Z while still tugging at millennial memories. Asian Paints refreshed 'Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai' with updated visuals that reflect contemporary homes while retaining Piyush Pandey’s original warmth.
The balancing act lies in preservation and reinvention. Brands understand that simply replaying an old ad risks alienating younger audiences who never experienced it firsthand. Instead, they preserve memory cues, the melody, the tagline, the familiar character, while changing the voice, the lens, the context. The reimagining happens in shorter edits tailored for social feeds, in collaborations with influencers and regional artists, in inclusive narratives that reflect today’s values, and in visual polish designed for streaming platforms. What once played out on television screens now lives as reels, OTT brand integrations, and meme-friendly snippets without losing the emotional essence.
Ashok Lalla, an independent brand and marketing consultant says “Nostalgia if it's simply dusted off and re-run or re-used the way it originally was will have only a limited appeal to those who saw the line or campaign when it first ran. It will miss the mark with people who are younger or don't recall the older campaign. However, if the nostalgia campaign can be made relevant to today's cultural and social environment and to the brand's primary audience today (unlikely to be the same as its original audience was), nostalgia can become timeless for the brand and in turn strengthen the brand as well. Renditions may change in time but strong insight-driven brand propositions can endure.”
For marketers, nostalgia is no longer just a quick traffic booster. Increasingly, it is seen as a long-term lever for building emotional equity. When done right, it creates intergenerational bonds: parents remember, children discover, and the brand cements itself as timeless yet timely. Overuse remains a risk, brands cannot afford to look stuck in the past, but when nostalgia is fused with innovation, it strengthens cultural relevance rather than weakening it.
Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru & Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. highlights, “Nostalgia is a forever strategy, never goes out of fashion. Many brands are reinventing the power of nostalgia. The idea is that nostalgia stays alive through generations and many brands are keen to keep their nostalgia lines, jingles, sayings, advertising formats alive across the generations. When you actually want to do nostalgia for the younger generation, you give it a tweak, you give it a colour, you give it a new language, tone and decibel that the younger generation really wants.”
The return of jingles and taglines is proof that in a market saturated with constant newness, memory may be the sharpest tool of all. By honouring their own legacies while re-expressing them in the idiom of the present, Indian brands are showing that sometimes the best way to move forward is to walk back, dust off what once made hearts sing, and let it play again in a new key.
