This year’s Independence Day saw brands move beyond token tricolour tributes to deliver layered narratives, mixing nostalgia, personal freedoms, and modern-day purpose. Here are the campaigns that stand out:
JSW Paints – Khoobsurti Jo Dil Ki Aankhon Se Dekhi Ja Sake
In a tender terrace scene, a son guides his visually impaired father’s hand across a hand-painted tricolour, each textured hue paying tribute to freedom fighters, unity, and the land. The campaign redefined beauty as something felt, not just seen—staying true to JSW Paints’ “Think Beautiful” ethos.
Zomato – Year After Year
Zomato’s Independence Day film charts India’s journey from colonial subjugation to present-day progress, attributing the transformation to the nation’s relentless hard work year after year. The campaign blends historical reflection with a forward-looking optimism, celebrating perseverance as the true driver of freedom and growth.
SBI General Insurance – #TributeToIndia
A reimagined national anthem, composed by Sneha Khanwalkar, stitched together India’s journey through iconic sounds, from steam engine whistles and typewriter clicks to UPI transaction alerts, blending nostalgia with the rhythm of a modern, digital nation.
Axis Bank – Find Your India
This campaign celebrated personal connections to the nation: from reclaiming mispronounced names to sharing meals across cultures. It framed patriotism as an everyday discovery, not just a once-a-year sentiment.
The Baker’s Dozen – Different Tongues, One Taste
The artisanal bakery highlighted food as a universal language, connecting diverse regions and languages through shared love for authentic baked goods and reminding us that culinary traditions can bridge divides.
Bajaj Avenger – #NoPlasticPatriotism
Rejecting the single-use plastic flag, a biker protagonist chose to show his respect by cleaning litter at a scenic cliff. The campaign reframed patriotism as environmental stewardship beyond symbolic gestures.
Gas-O-Fast – Be Vocal for Local Brands
Mankind Pharma’s antacid brand championed jeera as a proudly Indian solution for proudly Indian digestion, urging consumers to choose local remedies over imports.
Air India – India se Hoga
The airline depicted ordinary Indians overcoming doubt, culminating in an aircraft taking off as a symbol of dreams taking flight, blending personal resilience with national ambition.
MediBuddy – Let the Movement Begin
Under the #FitIndiaFestival banner, MediBuddy reframed physical movement as a personal act of freedom and a civic contribution to the nation’s strength.
boAt – Rock in India
Humorously tackling “Made in China” jibes, boAt celebrated the factory workers behind its Make in India success, producing 8 crore units annually.
Godrej – #AsYouWishIndia
From helping toddlers sleep mosquito-free to boosting farmers’ yields, Godrej positioned its diverse product lines as silent enablers of Indian aspirations.
HDFC Asset Management – #BarniSeAzadi
In its fifth edition, HDFC Mutual Fund’s flagship campaign championed women’s financial independence with the emotionally charged film Sapne Karo Aazad. It tells the story of a daughter who replaces her mother’s quiet jar savings with disciplined SIP investing to realise the dream of opening a boutique. This year, the brand is amplifying the message with 79 street theatre performances nationwide, urging women to move beyond traditional saving towards strategic, long-term wealth creation.
UPL – Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan
UPL’s Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan campaign draws a stirring parallel between soldiers guarding the nation’s borders and farmers safeguarding its food supply, honouring both as equal pillars of nation-building. Part of its Atoot Vishwas Ki Kahaniya series, the film reinforces resilience, trust, and the enduring spirit of India’s farming communities.