Every Dussehra, the ten-headed Raavana returns to the centre of India’s cultural imagination, only to be defeated by Lord Rama. For advertisers, however, the demon has proved far more versatile than a villain waiting to be vanquished. His ten heads can represent multiple problems, his reputation can deliver a social message, and his character can be rewritten to tell a story that audiences do not quite expect.
Over the years, brands have used Raavana to move beyond predictable festive greetings, finding new ways to connect a familiar cultural symbol with everything from road safety and digital fraud to fast food and insurance. Here are five ways advertising has reinterpreted the demon.
When Raavana called out helmet-less riders
In 2022, Mumbai Police and Mumbai Traffic Police, in collaboration with Schbang, gave Raavana an unexpected responsibility: of reminding motorists to wear helmets.
The 56-second film, #JustOneHead, shows Raavana riding a two-wheeler when he encounters a man who has a helmet but chooses not to wear it. Raavana points out the obvious difference between them. While he has ten heads, the other rider has only one. The film closes with the message, “You have only one head. Wear a helmet.”
The humour lies in the reversal. The mythological villain is the one behaving responsibly, while the human character is taking an unnecessary risk. By turning Raavana into the voice of reason, Schbang makes a serious road-safety message memorable without relying on a conventional public-service announcement.
When Raavana chose the good side
What happens when Raavana decides not to be the villain? Policybazaar explored that possibility in its 2021 digital film, ‘Good Always Triumphs’, conceptualised by Scarecrow M&C Saatchi.
The film follows a Ramleela troupe whose performance is cancelled because of poor ticket sales. The actor playing Raavana comes across a verse about goodness and truth, inspiring him to perform acts of kindness around the city. His actions are recorded and shared online, eventually drawing audiences back to the troupe’s show. Instead of presenting Raavana as an antagonist to be defeated, the film explores what happens when he chooses to do good. The story connects this transformation to Policybazaar’s message of protecting the good in people’s lives through insurance.
The creative reversal is what makes the film stand out. Audiences already know Raavana’s place in the mythology, so watching him become a good Samaritan creates an immediate point of surprise.
Ten heads, ten digital frauds
In October 2020, PhonePe brought Raavana into the world of digital payments with a Dussehra fraud-awareness campaign featuring ten animated films. Each film introduced a character representing a different type of payment scam, including QR Asur, Cashback Asur and OTP Asur.
The QR Asur film warned users against fraudulent QR codes and explained that scanning a code does not result in money being deposited into their accounts. The broader campaign addressed scams involving fake offers, fraudulent customer-care details, phishing and attempts to steal personal information.
For PhonePe, Raavana’s ten heads became a framework for breaking down a complicated subject into bite-sized lessons. The campaign connected the familiar idea of good triumphing over evil with the fight against digital fraud, making consumer education part of the festive communication.
Feeding ten heads without burning a hole in the pocket
In 2019, McDonald’s India brought Raavana’s ten heads into its Dussehra communication to promote its ₹59 McSaver Combos. The humour came from the idea of feeding all ten heads without spending too much, turning Raavana’s many heads into a playful take on eating affordably. By linking a familiar festive character to its value menu, the brand gave its Dussehra messaging a simple, relatable hook.
When good and evil shared a ride
Volkswagen gave the familiar Rama-Raavana story a light-hearted automotive twist in its 2023 Dussehra ad. The film shows Rama driving a Volkswagen Virtus and offering Raavana a lift. With his ten heads making the front seat an awkward fit, Ravan gets into the back seat and fastens his seatbelt. The humorous exchange leads to the message, “Let the good in you drive away evil,” using the familiar battle between good and evil to deliver a festive message while bringing the car’s features into the story.
The idea works because it plays against audience expectations. Rather than depicting another battle between good and evil, the film portrayed an everyday interaction between two iconic figures. It uses the mythology to deliver a brand message without needing to retell the entire epic.
Across these campaigns, Raavana has moved well beyond the role of a mythological villain. He can embody a product problem, personify a modern-day threat, deliver a public-safety message or become an unlikely hero. For advertisers, the opportunity lies not simply in borrowing a familiar cultural symbol, but in finding a fresh meaning for it. After all, while Raavana may be defeated every Dussehra, his advertising career shows no signs of coming to an end.
