As I sipped my morning tea, a shocking sight greeted me on the front page of the City section of a leading English daily — a lissom model in a ‘minimalist’ ensemble, paired with a headline urging readers to ‘Add a modern twist to your Diwali party look.’
Apparently, Diwali is now a festival for cropped tops and flaunting one’s ‘Diwali glow’ in a few square inches of fabric. A modern twist indeed!
Would any magazine dare suggest a similar ‘party look’ for, say, Eid or Ramadan? Perhaps a campaign encouraging ‘modest yet bold’ outfits with plunging necklines and bare midriffs? Absolutely not. They’d face outrage that would make the Charlie Hebdo backlash seem mild. But for Hindu festivals, every magazine and marketing guru seems to have the same epiphany: ‘Why not push the boundaries? Hindus won’t react.’ Quiet tolerance mistaken for apathy; that’s where the trouble begins.
Selective creative licence
Last Ramadan, a mall boldly featured an ad with a Muslim man accompanied by a Hindu woman in a traditional saree, offering a ‘Bring your Hindu friend along for a discount’ promotion. Provocative? Yes. Tactless? Absolutely. But would the same ad agency feature a Hindu man with a woman dressed in traditional attire from another faith, such as an abaya, burqa, or hijab? Highly unlikely. For reasons that defy logic, agencies reserve ‘creativity’ only for Hindu festivals.
The trend isn’t new. Swiggy’s Holi ad subtly suggested that eggs make for a better kitchen ingredient than a festival celebration, while Bharat Matrimony’s campaign during the festival of colours decided to highlight domestic violence and harassment as Holi’s shadow theme!
Then we had Manyavar weighing in on the concept of ‘kanyadaan,’ apparently rethinking it on behalf of a centuries-old tradition. And Tanishq’s ad tried to lecture on ‘Ekatvam’ by presenting what some saw as the next chapter in the ‘love jihad’ narrative. Unity, it seems, is best marketed through controversy.
What these marketing minds miss
This recurring theme of Hindu festivals as a free-for-all canvas for ‘modernisation’ has become exhausting. Ironically, the industry response has been a tactical playbook in appeasement: self-regulation initiatives, diversity and inclusion workshops, and, of course, the occasional rushed collaboration with Hindu organisations after a ‘mishap.’ It’s a bit like patching up a cracked wall with duct tape.
Respect for diversity isn’t a corporate checklist item. It’s an attitude that should genuinely reflect in campaigns. When cultural sensitivity is only selectively practised, it sends an unfortunate message: that some communities are ‘safer’ to offend.
At this rate, we’ll soon need a scorecard for festive ads each season. But jokes aside, brands need to understand that not every tradition requires a modern twist, especially one that distorts its core meaning.
Fostering genuine inclusivity shouldn’t require a balancing act between appeasement and provocation. Perhaps next year’s Diwali ad will surprise us — with a dash of restraint and a sparkle of sincerity.