Advertisements are often made around new ideas, trending moments and innovations. But some brands are finding value in what consumers already remember—the iconic ads that one can relate to right away. From full-blown sequels to revived jingles and old brand platforms, familiar advertising is getting a fresh lease of life. Here are some brands going back to their roots.
Bajaj Pulsar: Picking up the story 25 years later
Bajaj Pulsar has taken the idea of an advertising sequel quite literally. In September 2026, the brand brought back the two nurses from its iconic 2001 launch commercial for a new Pulsar 150 film.
The new film follows the same visual cues and rhythm as the original. The nurses once again discover something hidden under a white sheet, only to reveal the new Pulsar 150.
The idea is simple: instead of recreating the old commercial shot for shot, Pulsar continues the story. The campaign also carries forward the brand’s ‘Definitely Daring’ positioning while introducing the motorcycle to a new generation. It is a rare case of a brand treating an old advertisement almost like a film with a second chapter.
Hyundai: Looking back at the Santro years
Hyundai’s 30th anniversary in India has also given the brand an opportunity to revisit its advertising and product history.
The company’s anniversary storytelling looks back at the Santro and other models that shaped its journey in India, while connecting them to newer cars and technologies. Hyundai’s approach is broader than a direct ad sequel. It uses its history as a storytelling device, showing how the brand has changed alongside Indian consumers. That makes it another example of a larger shift: brands are increasingly treating their past advertising and products as assets that can be brought into present-day communication.
Tata Play: Life Jingalala gets a new soundtrack
For its 20th anniversary, Tata Play brought back its familiar ‘Life Jingalala’ thought. Instead of recreating an old television commercial, the brand gave the line a musical makeover. The new campaign uses folk musicians and regional artists to interpret ‘Life Jingalala’ across different Indian languages and musical traditions.
It is a good example of how a brand can revive a familiar line without making the advertising look stuck in the past.
The words remain familiar, but the way they are presented has changed.
Pond’s: Bringing back ‘Googly Woogly Wooksh’
Pond’s has gone back to one of the most recognisable phrases in Indian advertising — ‘Googly Woogly Wooksh’.
The phrase, which became popular through Pond’s advertising more than two decades ago, has returned in a new campaign for Pond’s Super Light Gel.
This time, the brand has moved the idea into a boys’ hostel and created a younger, more contemporary story around the phrase. The campaign also uses short-form digital content to take the old idea beyond traditional television advertising.
The interesting part is that Pond’s has not tried to explain or replace the phrase. It is using the familiarity of ‘Googly Woogly Wooksh’ as the starting point for a new product story.
Vicco: The jingle that refuses to disappear
Few Indian advertising assets have survived as long as Vicco’s ‘Vicco Turmeric, nahi cosmetic’ jingle.
The brand has repeatedly refreshed its advertising over the years without letting go of the core mnemonic. Even when newer faces and contemporary settings have been introduced, the familiar sound and central message have remained.
For Vicco, the old advertising is not just nostalgia. It has become part of the brand’s identity. The challenge is therefore not to create something completely new, but to make something familiar feel relevant to another generation.
Asian Paints: Bringing ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’ home again
Asian Paints returned to one of Indian advertising’s best-known campaigns with ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’.
The original campaign dates back to the early 2000s and built the idea that homes are more than physical spaces—they carry memories, emotions and stories.
When Asian Paints brought the platform back, it updated the idea for contemporary Indian homes. The new stories reflected how homes and relationships have changed while keeping the central thought intact.
This makes the campaign less of a direct sequel and more of a conversation between two versions of India—the India that saw the original ad and the India living in those homes today.
McDonald’s India: The child in the ad grows up
McDonald’s India found another way to revisit an old campaign—by bringing back the person who appeared in it.
Actor Sara Arjun, who featured as a child in a McDonald’s campaign in 2011, returned to the brand as an adult. The new campaign also went back to the same park bench used in the original film.
The clever part is that the brand did not simply recreate the old commercial. It used the passage of time as part of the story.
The character has grown up, the conversation has changed, and the product has changed too. But the familiar setting gives audiences an immediate connection to the original.
The appeal, here, is fairly straightforward. A familiar jingle, character, setting or line can do something a completely new campaign cannot—it can trigger recognition almost instantly.
But simply bringing something old back is not enough. The stronger examples use nostalgia as a starting point and then add something new, whether that is a new product, a new character arc, a different cultural context or a new format.
Pulsar continues its original story. McDonald’s lets its protagonist grow up. Pond’s gives an old phrase a new product and setting. Tata Play changes the sound around a familiar line. Vicco keeps its mnemonic alive while refreshing its presentation.
The lesson for brands may be that the past does not always have to be left behind. Sometimes, it can be a starting point for the next chapter.
