Diwali ads have long been drenched in emotion, the hugs, the nostalgia, the soft music cueing “home.” But this year, something shifted. The lights still flickered, but so did the humour. This Diwali, brands didn’t just celebrate togetherness, they roasted it lovingly. What once glowed with nostalgia now shimmered with humour, and the festival’s advertising heartbeat found a new rhythm: joy, but with a punchline.
Quick-commerce platform Zepto set the tone with its 'Mithai Wars' campaign, created in partnership with Haldiram’s. Instead of another emotional story about family and sweets, Zepto decided to gamify a long-standing cultural divide, which mithai rules the Diwali table. A mystery box containing divisive Indian sweets like Soan Papdi, Kaju Katli or Chana Burfi was delivered to customers, who were then invited to vote for 'India’s Favourite Mithai.' It was equal parts satire and nostalgia. The campaign turned something as ordinary as a box of sweets into a playful social moment, one that celebrated our collective indecision, not just our traditions.
Tech brand Nothing took an even bolder approach with 'Go Subtle or Go Nothing,” narrated by comedian Samay Raina. The ad poked fun at festive clichés, perfect families in colour-coordinated clothes, slow-motion gifting scenes, over-the-top emotions, all while cleverly showcasing its products. A Nothing Phone (3) became fairy lights; earbuds turned into diya stands. It was ridiculous in the best way possible. By mocking the very grammar of festive advertising, Nothing ended up creating one of the most memorable ones of the season.
Zouk, the homegrown accessories brand, found its humour in the small frustrations that make family life so familiar. Its film, 'Walking Storage Unit,' centred on the long-suffering man who becomes the designated bag carrier for his wife and sister every festive outing. The joke was simple and affectionate, a slice of everyday life wrapped around a gifting idea. By leaning on wit rather than sentiment, Zouk made a handbag commercial feel like an in-joke between family members.
Instamart, meanwhile, rolled out its 'Asli Sona' campaign starring Sonakshi Sinha, a pun-packed story about a woman 'born with a golden spoon.' The film was glossy, self-aware and humorous, tying together luxury, superstition and quick commerce in under a minute. The twist lay in its clever wordplay: 'sona' became not just gold, but the promise of speed, indulgence and convenience. It was Diwali advertising reimagined for a generation that appreciates irony as much as opulence.
Even categories you wouldn’t associate with humour found ways to join in. Frido launched 'Iss Diwali, Comfort to Banta Hai,' a series of witty films that showed its chairs bringing calm to absurdly high-pressure moments, from bomb squads to hospital surgeries. The tone was irreverent but rooted in product truth. By exaggerating the role of comfort in life-or-death scenarios, Frido made its message both funny and memorable.
Ganesh Sonawane, Co-founder and CEO, Frido said, "Humour helps us say what sentiment often can’t. It makes people smile, connect with what they see, and remember the brand long after they scroll past. While the usual marketing strategy during Diwali is leveraging emotions, we wanted to take a different route and use wit to highlight something we all need but rarely talk about - comfort. Our campaign ‘Iss Diwali, Comfort to Banta Hai’ turns high-pressure moments into funny, relatable situations that show how being comfortable isn’t about luxury, it’s about clarity, focus, and performance. When you can make someone laugh and think at the same time, that’s when the message truly lands.”
Together, these campaigns point to a larger cultural and creative shift. For years, Indian advertising has equated emotion with effectiveness. A festive film was expected to make people feel, ideally, to cry. But audiences have changed. Gen Z and younger millennials, raised on meme culture and irony, are weary of predictable sentimentality. They want advertising that acknowledges their reality, chaotic, funny, flawed, and self-aware.
"For long, festive advertising often leaned on nostalgia and sentiment. Humour however has emerged as a refreshing disruptor. It reflects how India’s younger generation celebrates today with wit, self-awareness and an unapologetic sense of individuality. They don’t just watch ads; they share them, remix them, make them part of their conversations. That’s the space we wanted to play in with ‘Is Diwali Ka Sabse Bada FLEX Medusa.’ The campaign flips the idea of luxury on its head and redefines what a ‘flex’ really means, i.e. it’s not about what you own, but the vibe you bring. Because for us, celebration isn’t about perfection, it’s about personality and that’s the true spirit of Medusa," says Gaurav Sehgal, Vice President - Marketing, Medusa Beverages.
Humour, when done right, does exactly that. It doesn’t discard emotion; it reframes it. The jokes work because they’re rooted in truth, the eternal mithai debate, the family dynamics of gifting, the fatigue with picture-perfect festive setups. Each campaign uses laughter as a bridge, not a barrier. There’s still warmth and recognition, just expressed through wit instead of melodrama.
Anand Agrawal, Co-Founder and CPTO, Credgenics, says, “In today’s hyper-connected world, humour has emerged as a powerful mode to connect and share a bond for the digital-savvy generation that values wit and self-awareness. The younger audience resonates well with brand initiatives that make them smile and think at the same time. By adding wit to the warmth of Diwali, we are emphasizing that financial management wisdom and festive cheer don’t have to be at opposite ends. A smart and witty message often communicates much more than a serious note and laughter is usually a better way to start a meaningful conversation.”
For brands, this shift also reflects the new media landscape. A witty line or visual gag can travel faster on social media than a slow emotional film. Interactive ideas, like Zepto’s voting game, create participation and shareability, qualities that sentimental storytelling rarely achieves. Nothing’s self-referential humour, meanwhile, mirrors how audiences already talk about ads online, through parody and commentary.
Achyuta Nand Chand, Co-Founder, Mashrise highlights, “There has been a refreshing creative shift this Diwali, brands are moving away from emotional nostalgia and leaning into humour and wit to connect with younger audiences. Gen Z doesn’t resonate with overly sentimental narratives anymore, they prefer stories that mirror their own tone: playful, self aware, and culturally sharp. Campaigns like Zepto’s Mithai Wars and Instamart’s Sona Kitna Sona Hai embody this shift perfectly. In a festive season crowded with heartfelt ads, humour has emerged as the most human, relatable, and effective way for brands to stay relevant and spark genuine engagement.”
In 2025, the funniest campaigns were also the most authentic ones. They didn’t laugh at tradition, they laughed with it. They understood that today’s consumer doesn’t want to be preached to or sentimentalised. They want to be entertained, recognised, and occasionally made to smile at themselves. In a festive season once dominated by emotion, this year’s ads reminded us that sometimes the best way to connect is to laugh together.
