Every year, when Ganesh Chaturthi arrives, Mumbai transforms into a city that never sleeps, its streets lit up with devotion, music, and the restless hum of millions who come together to welcome their beloved Bappa. For ten days, pandals rise like temples of imagination, each one competing in grandeur, artistry, and devotion. But what was once a purely cultural spectacle has now also become one of the most powerful canvases for brands to tell their stories. From hoardings near pandals to immersive on-ground activations, this year’s celebrations saw an unprecedented wave of creativity, with brands stepping in not just as advertisers, but as enablers of the festival experience itself.
Rather than settling for conventional banners, Polycab chose to serve devotees by creating real value along the pilgrimage-like routes of the city. At the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja, where devotees wait for hours for a glimpse of the idol, Polycab built a ‘Comfort Zone’, a sheltered rest area that offered respite from the heat and chaos. They also installed mobile charging stations at the pandal, a thoughtful addition in a world where phones double up as cameras, maps, and lifelines.
At Polycab, we believe in building connections that go beyond just products. This Ganesh Chaturthi, instead of opting for traditional branding, we chose to create customer-first installations that make the celebrations safer, more comfortable, and more connected.
Shwetal Basu, Senior Vice President, Brand & Marketing, Polycab India Ltd said, “At Lalbaugcha Raja, we introduced a ‘Cool Zone’ for devotees en route to the pandal, set up a dedicated booth for the comfort of on-duty police personnel, installed mobile charging stations for devotees, volunteers, and officers, and created an experiential cool walkway featuring Polycab fans and products to help beat the heat. At Polycab, festivals are more than traditions—they are opportunities to serve, support, and celebrate with the people. We’re proud to play a part in making Ganesh Chaturthi more comfortable, connected, and meaningful for everyone involved.”
Fortune Foods, meanwhile, went for a record-breaking statement of devotion. At Girgaon Cha Raja, the brand unveiled an 800-kg modak crafted entirely from its products. Not just a visual treat, the modak was certified by the World Record Book of India as the ‘Biggest Modak Using Traditional Ingredients,’ with another nod from the Global Book of Excellence in England. Later, this colossal sweet was distributed as prasad, ensuring that thousands of devotees carried home a taste of Fortune’s festive offering.
Beyond the record-breaking highlight, Fortune created festive visibility through 166,800 sq. ft. of branding at 25 major pandals in Maharashtra, 40 OOH sites in Mumbai, LED screens near Lalbaugh, and society activations across 132 societies and 800+ lifts. On digital, it launched an interactive contest where consumers designed virtual Ganesha idols, which translated into personalised festive greetings.
“In past years, Fortune has focused strongly on pandal branding and consumer activations, but this year we scaled up to create a record-breaking cultural tribute with the 800-kg modak. This initiative went beyond visibility, it was about celebrating tradition in a larger-than-life manner. Additionally, our digital integration was far more interactive, enabling consumers to participate virtually in the celebrations through gamified contests and influencer-led engagement. This year, it is all about blending on-ground cultural connect with digital innovation at an unprecedented scale,” said Mukesh Mishra, Joint President, Sales and Marketing, AWL Agri Business Ltd.
He further highlighted how Ganesh Chaturthi has consistently been a high-engagement festive touchpoint for Fortune Foods, helping them strengthen their connect with consumers in Maharashtra and beyond. “In previous years, our branding initiatives around pandals, cultural associations and festive recipes have translated into higher brand recall, stronger emotional connect and increased consumption of Fortune products during the festive season. Over the years, this platform has helped Fortune become a trusted part of festive cooking traditions, reinforcing our place in consumer kitchens,” he added.
ITC’s Aashirvaad Atta took a different, almost poetic route. It etched the smallest idol of Lord Ganesha on individual wheat grains, tiny tokens of purity and devotion. Visitors at their “Ganesha Creation Zone” could create digital Ganesha artworks that were magnified and projected onto a life-sized wheat idol. Each person left not just with prasad, but with a keepsake grain engraved with the deity, and a hamper that tied faith with festivity. Aashirvaad Soul Creations extended this devotional theme with #BappaKiTayyari, delivering festive staples like modaks and puran polis straight to families while also making aarti booklets accessible via WhatsApp. It was a seamless blend of tradition and technology, showing how rituals can find new life in the digital age.
Shuvadip Banerjee, Chief Digital Marketing Officer, ITC Foods said, “At ITC, we constantly strive to celebrate India’s cultural richness with meaningful and innovative brand experiences. This Ganesh Chaturthi, Aashirvaad is paying tribute to tradition in two unique ways. Aashirvaad Atta is creating a first-of-its-kind devotional experience by etching the smallest idol of Lord Ganesha on individual wheat grains, symbolising the purity of our atta. Visitors can co-create digital Ganesha artworks that are projected onto a life-sized wheat idol and receive these intricately engraved wheat grains as part of a special prasad. In parallel, Aashirvaad Soul Creations is blending tradition with technology through #BappaKiTayyari, ensuring no family misses out on the joys of festive rituals—from delivering curated sweets like modaks and puran poli, to providing easy access to aarti booklets via WhatsApp. Together, both initiatives reflect our commitment to elevating the festive spirit through devotion, innovation, and togetherness."
Britannia Bourbon added a delicious twist to the festival’s most iconic sweet. In collaboration with Bombay Sweet Shop, it introduced the Bourbon Chocolate Modak, a decadent creation made with choco peda, Bourbon ganache, and crushed Bourbon biscuits, topped with edible gold. The limited-edition indulgence quickly became a talking point across the city, selling out as fast as it was prepared. For Bourbon, it was more than a novelty, it was proof that even a heritage biscuit can reinvent itself in the language of culture and continue to stay relevant in moments of celebration.
Siddharth Gupta, General Manager - Marketing, Britannia Industries Ltd. said, “Britannia Bourbon has always been an iconic flavour, loved for its layers of rich choco indulgence. This Ganesh Chaturthi, we collaborated with Bombay Sweet Shop to reimagine Bourbon and give consumers a new way to enjoy it through the Bourbon Chocolate Modak. Made with choco peda, Bourbon ganache, and crushed Bourbon biscuits, all finished with a touch of edible gold, it was the perfect blend of tradition and indulgence, while staying true to Bourbon’s signature taste.”
He added that the response from consumers was phenomenal, with the Bourbon Chocolate Modak seeing overwhelming demand and quickly becoming a highlight of the season.
“For us, it’s a strong validation of Bourbon’s ability to stay relevant by delighting consumers with innovative formats,” he further stated.
CaratLane, on the other hand, told a story of love and commitment rooted deeply in Maharashtra’s cultural pride. Its campaign, Bappancha Ashirwaad, wasn’t just another jewellery ad; it was a Marathi-language film featuring local faces, unfolding against the emotional backdrop of visarjan. The story of young couples navigating proposals and commitments found a natural fit in the energy of Ganeshotsav, giving engagement rings a new cultural meaning. The response was overwhelming, over 5 million digital views in the first week, influencer-led amplification across Maharashtra, and a projected 15–20% rise in festive footfalls at stores. For CaratLane, the campaign wasn’t just marketing; it was about making jewellery feel like part of the festival itself.
Shaifali Gautam, CMO, CaratLane said, “This year, we consciously pivoted our approach towards regional campaigns to truly connect at a cultural level with our audiences. With Bappancha Ashirwaad, we wanted to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi through a lens that felt authentically local, while keeping our universal engagement-ring narrative alive. What makes it different from our previous festive work is the strong regional focus. We created the film in Marathi, cast popular local faces, and set it in a familiar Visarjan backdrop. The high-energy brand film connected at a much deeper level with the people of Maharashtra, blending cultural pride with an emotional story of commitment.”
She further highlighted, “Our target audience here is young couples—those navigating commitment and looking for meaningful jewellery to mark that moment. By embedding the proposal story into a culturally rooted festival, we created a campaign that feels both authentic and heartfelt. From a performance perspective, our regional films consistently deliver high traction. With Ganesh Chaturthi, we are already seeing strong traction—over 5 million views across digital channels in the first week itself , amplified by influencers and content creators across Maharashtra. In-store, we anticipate at least a 15–20% uplift in festive footfalls, based on past campaigns that combined regional storytelling with national product ranges.”
This year also marked a first for TTK Prestige, which stepped into Ganeshotsav with a dedicated on-ground festive activation at Andhericha Raja, one of Mumbai’s most prominent pandals. The Prestige Svachh installation brought alive the brand’s ethos of responsibility and innovation, reminding devotees that true blessings begin at home with mindful living. Inspired by the deep-lid, no-spill design of its Svachh cookware range, the space doubled up as an experiential zone where families engaged in activities such as the #SvachhLivingPledge and a lively Modak Making Challenge using Prestige’s Airfryer and Multi-tasking Kadai. With celebrity visits, a tie-up with Fever FM, and an expected footfall of over five lakh visitors, the initiative positioned Prestige as more than a kitchenware brand, it became a champion of conscious, waste-free celebrations.
Anil Gurnani, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, TTK Prestige said, “With this campaign, we are consciously moving towards creating a larger movement around Svachh Living. It is not just about showcasing innovation in our products, but about encouraging families to embrace conscious practices such as water conservation and waste-free kitchens, while celebrating traditions with meaning. Our target audience includes families, homemakers, and young urban devotees who value experiences that combine tradition with purpose. The installation is expected to reach over 5 lakh visitors this year, with thousands of selfies already being shared online and strong daily participation in the Modak Making Challenge. Celebrity visits and our collaboration with Fever FM are further amplifying excitement and extending our reach. We believe this campaign is reinforcing Prestige’s position as a brand that celebrates Indian traditions while leading the way in cleaner, smarter, and more responsible living.”
Entertainment giant Zee TV stayed close to the heart of the people, continuing its long-standing association with Parel Cha Raja. This year, the channel went beyond visibility with a heartfelt gesture, donating food grains to the underprivileged, reinforcing its ethos of “Saath Aane Se Baat Banti Hai.” Its actors visited the pandal, participating in maha aartis and meeting devotees, moments that were shared widely across its platforms. On-ground engagement translated into digital amplification, and the channel reported a 3X surge in footfall at the pandal, proof that authenticity still resonates deeply when blended with presence and participation.
Mangesh Kulkarni, Chief Channel Officer, Zee TV said, "At Zee TV, Ganesh Chaturthi has always been more than just a festive occasion, it's a meaningful opportunity to connect with our audience on a deeper cultural and emotional level. For the past four years, we’ve consistently partnered with Parel Cha Raja allowing us to stay present where it truly matters - among the people. What makes this year stand out is how we’ve taken our brand connect a step further. Staying true to our ethos of ‘Aapka Apna Zee TV’, we extended our outreach by donating food grains to those in need, a gesture that reflects our belief that ‘Saath Aane Se Baat Banti Hai’. It’s a meaningful way to give back during a time that celebrates unity, devotion, and compassion.”
“Our artists have been regularly visiting the pandal to participate in maha aartis, making our engagement more personal and visible to devotees. These visits have been amplified across all our platforms, further deepening the connect with our audiences both on-ground and online. This year, the celebrations saw an impressive 3X surge in footfall, reinforcing the growing relevance of our presence at such a culturally significant event. Alongside these on-ground initiatives, we have also invested in impactful posters and OOH advertising across Parel in Mumbai, ensuring visibility beyond the pandal and reinforcing our festive messaging. Early feedback reflects a clear uplift in audience sentiment and brand affinity, indicating that our festive initiatives continue to resonate strongly with our viewers,” he added.
New-age brand Frido also made its presence felt, moving from digital-first to a hybrid approach by collaborating with Zepto at the Ashtavinayak Wari Mandal in Girgaum Chowpatty. With close to 1.9 crore footfalls during the festival, the partnership allowed the comfort-focused brand to showcase not just its products but its promise of swift, 10-minute delivery. It was a clever fusion of cultural tradition and modern convenience, allowing Frido to step firmly into the offline landscape without losing its digital DNA.
Ganesh Sonawane, Co-Founder and CEO, Frido said, "Frido already has a strong digital presence, so this year, we wanted to extend our offline footprint during one of India’s most celebrated festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi. We partnered with the Ashtavinayak Wari Mandal in Girgaum, Chowpatty, one of the city’s key cultural hubs, in collaboration with Zepto. Together, we highlighted how our products, designed to deliver unmatched comfort, can also be delivered in just 10 minutes. The shift from purely online activations in previous years to an immersive on-ground presence marks a significant step in how we engage audiences. With the Ashtavinayak Wari Mandal itself drawing close to 1.9 crore footfalls during the festival, this collaboration gave us the opportunity to connect directly with a diverse and highly engaged audience. Offline initiatives like these complement our digital presence, and have consistently helped us amplify recall and customer engagement beyond transactional awareness”
Taken together, these campaigns capture how Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai has evolved into much more than a religious or cultural gathering. It has become a shared stage where brands, communities, and creativity converge. Some brands bring scale, some bring intimacy, and some bring sheer spectacle, but all of them reflect the city’s desire to celebrate its faith in newer, more vibrant ways. In a festival where millions throng to catch a glimpse of the divine, the brands that truly stand out are the ones that don’t just place their logos in the crowd, but weave themselves into the rhythm of devotion itself.
