Campaign: Indiranagar ka Gunda
Brand: CRED
Agency: Moonshot (formerly known as All Things Small)
Why the campaign rocks:
One advertisement that has stayed with me is the CRED campaign featuring Rahul Dravid, shown in an entirely unexpected light: furious, shouting from his car, and breaking his long-held image of being “Mr. Calm” and “Mr. Consistent.” The boldness of this creative choice was remarkable. For decades, Dravid has represented composure, discipline, and dependability, both on and off the field. To deliberately overturn that perception was a masterstroke in brand storytelling.
It instantly sparked intrigue, commanded attention, and created lasting recall far beyond the 30-second screen time. What made the campaign particularly effective was its reliance on surprise and humour. In today’s cluttered advertising ecosystem, where consumers encounter hundreds of brand messages daily, memorability is the biggest challenge. CRED achieved this by taking a counterintuitive approach subverting expectations around a well-loved public figure. This reinforced the principle that disruptive creativity, when executed well, can cut through noise and deliver impact at scale. Equally significant was the alignment between the idea and the brand’s positioning.
At the time, CRED was still a relatively new entrant in the fintech space. Its proposition rewarding credit card bill payments was unconventional and futuristic. The ad mirrored this positioning by being different, aspirational, and unafraid to challenge conventions. By breaking stereotypes through storytelling, the campaign strengthened CRED’s identity as a bold, innovative brand. The Rahul Dravid ad also underlined an important marketing insight: visibility alone is not enough.
Effective communication must create both emotional connection and cultural conversation. The phrase “Indiranagar ka gunda” became a viral talking point, embedding the brand in popular culture and driving organic amplification far beyond paid media. In essence, this campaign showcased how originality and risk-taking are central to building strong, differentiated brands. By daring to show the unexpected, CRED not only won attention but also cemented its reputation as a disruptor. That is why the ad continues to stand out as one of the most memorable pieces of recent advertising.
