On Wednesday jewellery brand GIVA withdrew its Raksha Bandhan campaign featuring actor Kriti Sanon, effectively adding another chapter to corporate India’s ongoing saga of festive miscalculations.
The 35-second advertisement, intended to promote a new jewellery collection for pets, depicted the actor tying a rakhi to her brother and subsequently to her pet dog, while dressed in a bralette-style blouse. Inclusion is welcome.
Within hours, the internet erupted. The accusation: the brand trivialized a sacred tradition. It prioritized "woke" aesthetics over cultural resonance. This in turn led to a polarised for and against the form rather than the substance. The ad was taken back with the standard corporate mea culpa acknowledging "hurt sentiments".
The GIVA fiasco is not an isolated incident; rather, it serves as the most recent symptom of a much larger communication paradigm failure within India Inc. Boardrooms and creative agencies are consistently prioritizing the "look and feel" of a campaign over its core message.
There is a persistent, flawed assumption that aspiration must be wrapped in hyper-stylized, Westernized aesthetics, and that deep-rooted cultural festivals are mere backdrops for corporate posturing. When a narrative misreads the consumer, production value becomes entirely irrelevant.
The tier 2 and tier 3 disconnect
This disconnect is most glaring in how brands perceive Tier 2, Tier 3, and semi-urban Indian markets. For too long, the corporate gaze has treated these geographies as monolithic, utilitarian markets driven solely by price points. But the data tells a story of aggressive premiumization and shifting social dynamics that completely defeat tired urban stereotypes.
In the GIVA ad, the key assumption was twofold: that the humanization of pets—treating them as integral family members—is an exclusively urban, elite phenomenon, and that fine jewellery must be marketed through an unapproachable, high-fashion lens.
The reality of Indian consumption defies these metropolitan stereotypes. Pet ownership is rapidly becoming a family preoccupation across smaller cities. The Indian pet food and care market is observing steady growth and is due to grow to $1.6 billion by the end of the decade. The momentum is due to the ever-rising e-commerce penetration in 40 tier 2 and 3 cities.
In these regions, the Indian family structure is evolving, and companion animals are increasingly at the core of family. An ad that portrays pet ownership as a solely elite, metro-centric lifestyle choice fundamentally alienates a massive, willing buyer base.
Similarly, the legacy assumption that fine jewellery is an exclusive playground for the wealthy gatekeeps aspirational marketing to the top one percentis a severe miscalculation. Jewellery in India is foundational; it is the ultimate expression of aspiration and a primary vehicle for wealth creation across geographies. Consumers in smaller cities do not want to be talked down to; they want products that validate their rising status and aspirations.
The engine of the national economy
This localized aspiration is not anecdotal; it is the engine of the national economy. The latest insights from NielsenIQ (NIQ) consistently underscore that India's retail and FMCG growth is heavily driven by rural and semi-urban markets. These regions are frequently outpacing urban centers in volume growth. India is a consumption-driven economy, and the new Indian consumer is discerning, aspirational, and fiercely protective of their cultural identity.
When brands craft narratives that frame their products through an exclusionary, high-fashion metropolitan lens, they commit a cardinal sin of marketing: they misidentify their actual growth audience.
A graveyard of festive failures
GIVA’s misstep joins a crowded graveyard of festive campaigns that tried too hard. India is a country of festivals, and these celebrations hold an ever-growing appeal. They are the bedrock of social cohesion. Given the huge catchment, brands in recent times have erred getting either preachy to play social engineers. Tradition is too sacred for reinvention in its look and feel.
Let us look at recent examples where some of India’s top brands had to retreat even when the intent was to extend joy.
In 2021, Fabindia launched its "Jashn-e-Riwaaz" campaign ahead of Diwali, and the campaign ran in to trouble over terminology and choice of styling. Ultimately, the advertisement was taken back. Same year, Manyavar, had to rescind its advertisement over wedding ritual of Kanyadaan. Earlier Tanishq’s "Ekatvam" campaign faced such severe wrath from the public domain that it necessitated a complete withdrawal and a public apology.
The withdrawals display a common streak. A strong set of statements that aims to end the controversy by expressing dismay over the "inadvertent stirring of emotions." However, the stirring of emotions in truth isn’t inadvertent; it is the outcome of a strategic leadership creative pivot that emphasises intellectual posturing over cultural resemblance and resonance. Brands must remember festivals are times of joy, tradition, continuity and community. Cultural consistency is primary. That is why an advertisement tries too hard to be either provocative or reformist, it runs the risk of dominating the product ultimately leading to the alienation of the consumer it intends to woo in the first place.
The antidote: Simplicity and authenticity
Contrast these historical failures with what actually works: organic, unpretentious communication. One need look no further than the viral Onam videos emerging from Kerala this season.
These localized campaigns do not require multi-million-rupee production budgets, controversial wardrobes, or celebrity endorsements. They let non-actors take center stage. They showcase the raw, organic joy of preparing the traditional Sadya and laying the floral Pookalam. They succeed precisely because they do not try too hard. Because the cultural roots are depicted accurately and respectfully, the creators do not have to force a synthetic, corporate mold onto a sacred tradition. The culture speaks for itself, proving that authenticity builds far more brand equity than staged disruption.
The way forward for India Inc.
For India Inc., the lesson is unequivocal. Selling in India requires holding up a mirror to the consumer, not a magnifying glass. The consumer in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities is wealthier, more connected, and more aspirational than the outdated boardroom profiles suggest. To win their loyalty, brands must unlearn their current festive playbook and return to the basics of communication.
First, the core message must be right. The core dynamics of the Indian family is undergoing a churn. And this is reflected in investment in pet care at one level and deep-rooted desire for aspirational goods like fine jewellery. Respect this paradigm without bringing in an elitist frame.
Second, the cultural calendar must be respected. Culture hosts context and continuity. Festivals, therefore, are an apt opportunity for a brand to participate in the consumer's joy, as an equal stakeholder. But this doesn’t entitle brands to rewrite either their traditions or order a new set of values. Creativity is welcome but it doesn’t give license to fiddle with the core.
Lastly, trust in simplicity is an imperative. The communication has to evoke a sense of belonging and not divorce it. Let real people articulate the cultural foundation. Brands and boardrooms must respect sensitivities of large demographics. To invoke credibility, employ authentic voices to tell stories that are truly genuine. For the Indian consumer, more so in the festival season, authenticity is an imperative while aesthetic is a prop.
(Views are personal)
(Rakesh Khar is a seasoned editor. He writes at the intersection of politics, business, technology and society)