The morning newspaper has always been more than just another medium. You unfold it, feel the texture of the paper and settle in with your morning tea. But what if, before reading a single word, the newspaper could become part of the experience itself?
For Onam, Zomato did just that—it turned the front page into a banana leaf to ring in the festivities. The execution recreated the look of a traditional sadhya spread, with illustrations of dishes placed across the page as though they had been served on an actual banana leaf.
It is an example of how brands are beginning to use print not just as a space to carry an advertisement, but as a medium to share a lived experience. From festive executions that tap into familiar cultural cues to scented pages and interactive formats, the printed page is being used to create moments that consumers can see, feel and engage with.
Rather than competing with digital on reach, print is finding new ways to earn attention. Its physicality allows brands to create formats that ask readers to do more than simply look at an ad.
That evolution is visible in the way brands are approaching festive advertising. Myntra, for instance, used an interactive stick-on Rakhi in Jaipur Times. The Rakhi could be peeled off and scanned, taking readers directly to gifting options on Myntra Now and turning a traditional Rakhi gesture into an interactive shopping experience.
Winning the attention battle
Experiential print is no longer about placing an advertisement on a page. It is about transforming the page into the experience itself. “Physical attention is now the scarcest resource a consumer has. The smartest print today is engineered to earn that attention by delighting the same senses that digital often overloads—in ways that feel deliberate and chosen,” says Nikhil Unni, Creative at Talented.
According to him, successful print advertising no longer behaves like conventional advertising. “A page that can smell like the product. A page that can be folded into it, played with, planted, worn, or kept. We recently ran a print campaign for Myntra’s End of Reason Sale, where pages became full-blown fashion runways. Print stops being a message about the brand and starts being a small act of it,” adds Unni. Talented’s newspaper innovation for Myntra encouraged readers to physically interact with the pages, turning an everyday newspaper into a fashion experience instead of just another advertisement.
Beyond ink on paper
If digital has abundance, print has scarcity. That scarcity is becoming its biggest advantage. “Print is reinventing itself by moving beyond static advertising to create high-impact, immersive brand experiences,” says Sagnik Ghosh, Head Creative Strategy, Innovations and Trade Marketing, BCCL Response. “Its larger canvas, credibility and ability to engage all five senses allow for unique formats such as sensory ads, special papers, innovative inks and AR integrations that command attention in ways digital often cannot.”
“Experiential marketing helps forge a deeper emotional bond with consumers, leaving a longer-lasting imprint. Leveraging print medium to bring an experience alive gives brands a wonderful way to create attention and recall, turning a simple read into a genuine sensory moment,” says Ritesh Sud, Chief Marketing Officer – India & Far East, LT Foods Ltd.
“Our biryani-scented print ad for DAAWAT on World Biryani Day is an example where consumers experienced the authentic aroma of biryani even before they had read a word,” says Sud. The campaign also generated organic conversations on social media, proving that a physical experience can naturally extend into digital spaces.
Indian brands are experimenting
DAAWAT is not alone. Increasingly, brands are using newspapers and print to create memorable sensory moments. Comfort turned a newspaper ad into a multi-sensory experience by infusing The Hindu with its signature fragrance. Designed like a cupboard, the front page let readers smell the brand’s freshness instead of just seeing the ad.
RSPL Group recently did something similar for a front-page campaign promoting Ghadi Smart Matic Liquid. The newspaper carried the product’s signature lavender fragrance, allowing readers to experience its freshness before purchase. “Digital platforms undoubtedly offer scale and immediacy, but what makes experiential print valuable today is its ability to create a moment of focused engagement,” says Anuj Goyal, Senior Vice President – Sales, Marketing and Distribution, Soap and Detergent Business, RSPL Group.
“When consumers can physically experience a product attribute—whether through touch, texture or fragrance—the communication becomes far more memorable.” According to Ghosh, these innovations transform communication into an experience rather than an advertisement. “For Maggi, we infused the aroma of masala noodles into the newspaper to create an instant nostalgic connection. Print becomes a creative platform where brands don’t just advertise; they engage,” he maintains.
Brands have also been using QR-enabled print ads that unlock videos, contests, recipes and exclusive digital content, allowing newspapers to serve as the entry point to a larger brand experience. Instead of treating print as a static medium, advertisers are increasingly designing campaigns that invite readers to see, smell, scan and engage with the page.
That engagement often extends well beyond the newspaper itself. “Readers photograph, film and share these innovations on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn, creating organic conversations that significantly amplify campaign reach,” says Uday Jadhav, Chief Executive Officer, Sakal Media Group. He points to Sakal’s Braille-enabled print innovation for the launch of a television serial as an example of how experiential print can create meaningful engagement while naturally extending into digital conversations.
From mass medium to premium experience
Industry experts believe print is gradually moving away from being a volume-driven medium to becoming a premium branding platform—a shift reflected in advertising trends as publishers increasingly monetise innovation rather than inventory.
Emmanuel Upputuru, Founder & Creative Chairman of EFGH Brand Innovations, “It’s been fascinating to see how print has evolved. Rather than simply fighting for survival, print has reinvented itself and, in some cases, even gives digital a run for its money.” He believes success is no longer measured purely by circulation.
According to the Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2026, print advertising expenditure (AdEx) grew by about 3 per cent in 2025, even though advertising space volumes remained broadly flat. The report notes that the growth was driven by higher yields and premium inventory rather than expansion, signalling that print is evolving into a more premium medium valued for credibility, detailed storytelling and targeted impact instead of sheer reach. “Today, print is no longer judged by reach alone, but by the quality of attention it commands. In a world of endless scrolling, a well-crafted print piece feels intentional. Brands are beginning to see print less as a media buy and more as a brand experience that people can touch, keep and remember,” Emmanuel adds.
Regional publishers are witnessing a similar shift. “Print is not competing with digital. It is complementing it,” says Jadhav. “While digital offers scale and precision, print delivers credibility, focused attention and a premium brand environment. In an age of information overload, it offers brands something increasingly valuable—trust, deeper engagement and stronger recall.”
Print’s second innings
Print’s future is unlikely to lie in competing with digital but in complementing it. “I do believe print is evolving from a broadcast medium to a more experience-led one,” says Sud. “Going forward, I expect to see more sensory innovations come alive. For brands willing to experiment, print offers a canvas to create moments consumers actively want to engage with and share.”
Goyal expects the next wave of innovation to combine “QR-enabled storytelling, augmented reality, personalised print, smart packaging integrations and advanced sensory formats.” Looking ahead, Ghosh believes print will increasingly become the starting point of connected brand experiences. “The future will be shaped by hybrid formats combining print’s physical impact with QR codes, AR, sensory elements and customised editions. Rather than existing in isolation, print will increasingly work alongside digital to create richer brand experiences.”
Print may no longer dominate advertising budgets, but by engaging the senses instead of the algorithm, it is carving out a new role—one where every page is not just read, but experienced.
