JK Super Cement and the home that keeps the memories
What they did. JK Super Cement, a brand of JK Cement Ltd., released a Diwali film built on the line Yaadein Hum Banate Hain, Ghar Unhe Sambhal Ke Rakhte Hain. In our words, it means we make the memories and the home keeps them safe. As the report describes it, a daughter finds a small handmade house that she once built with her father. Her memories lead her to the family's real home. The report says the film was made with generative AI tools. That means software that makes pictures and video from written instructions. It names YouTube, Meta platforms and LinkedIn as channels, along with festive events for consumers in key regional markets. The report is dated 7 November 2026. It names no agency or production house.
Why it works (our reading). Cement is the one thing nobody sees once the walls are painted. The report says festive ads in the category have mostly shown homes being made ready for guests. This film talks about the home itself as the keeper of memories. Our reading is that this gives the buyer a feeling to attach to strength. A builder or a family is then protecting memories and not only buying bags.
What the report says about impact. The report gives no results yet. It gives no views, sales or budget. Pushp Raj Singh, Group President, Sales and Marketing at JK Cement Ltd., says in the report (paraphrased) that festive ads in the category have focused on getting spaces ready for celebration. He says the home's emotional role matters as much as how the product performs. A home holding precious memories, he says, deserves to be built strong. That is a belief of the brand, not a result.
Done before in another industry. In October 2025 afaqs carried a partner-content piece on a film by Apsara Ice Creams. Partner content is a label for a piece that is not ordinary news reporting. The article says it was the brand's first use of AI-driven storytelling. The story is a family homecoming, and its message is that Diwali is about shared traditions and reconnecting with family. It names no agency and gives no results (afaqs, 14 October 2025). A cement brand and an ice cream brand both used AI-made pictures to tell a family story.
What your business can copy. Pick one thing your product protects or keeps safe, and show that instead of the product. Say a small waterproofing contractor in a town is made up. The contractor posts one photo of a wall treated five years ago, with the owner's written yes, and a plain line about what the wall has been through since. Show only real work, and never promise how long a fix will last unless you give it in writing.
Read the original: adgully, “JK Super Cement redefines festive storytelling with emotional Diwali film”, 7 November 2026, read it here. We opened one report of this film on the publishers we use.
Birla Opus Alldry and the cost of waiting
What they did. Birla Opus Paints, part of Grasim Industries and the Aditya Birla Group, launched three films for Alldry, its waterproofing range, under the line Wall dry ke liye Alldry. The actors are Vikrant Massey and Jagapathi Babu. The report describes two situations from the films. A homeowner's Sunday is disturbed by the thought that he did not get waterproofing done in time. Another person loses credibility after promising again and again to fix a leak. afaqs, on 5 November 2026, names BBDO India, part of Omnicom Advertising India, as the agency that conceptualised the campaign. MediaInfoline, on 4 November 2026, also names the production house as Corcoise Films, with that spelling, and links a YouTube playlist of the films. Neither report lists other channels or run dates.
Why it works (our reading). Waterproofing is the job people push to next month, because nothing is wrong yet. The reports say the idea starts from this habit of waiting until seepage and damage show on the wall. The films show the cost of waiting as shame and a lost Sunday and not as a repair bill. Our reading is that the buyer feels the regret before the damage, which is the time when a contractor can still be called early. The line also asks for the thing the buyer wants, a dry wall, and not for the problem, a leak.
What the report says about impact. The reports give no results yet. They give no views, sales or budget. They do repeat product claims from the brand: long-lasting protection, crack-proof technology and an exterior waterproofing warranty of up to 14 years. Those are claims about the product and not results of the campaign. Inderpreet Singh, head of marketing at Birla Opus Paints, says in the reports (paraphrased) that homeowners overlook waterproofing until damage shows. He says the films use everyday situations to show the cost of delay.
Done before in another industry. In November 2017 BestMediaInfo reported on films by the agency Mullen Lintas for QuikrEasy, the home services arm of the classifieds company Quikr. Two of the three films show household jobs that keep getting postponed, such as fixing shelves or calling pest control. The report gives no channels and no results (BestMediaInfo, 30 November 2017). Both turn putting a job off into the story.
What your business can copy. Name the cost of waiting in one line your customer already knows. Say a small plumber in a town is made up. In May the plumber sends one short WhatsApp message to past customers who asked to hear from him. The message says a leak found before the rains is cheaper to fix than one found during them. Message only people who agreed to hear from you, and give one clear date to call. Do not scare people. Give a plain reason to act early.
Read the original: afaqs, “Birla Opus Paints highlights the value of waterproofing with new Alldry campaign”, 5 November 2026, read it here. Also reported by MediaInfoline, “Birla Opus Paints Highlights the Value of Proactive Waterproofing with Its New Alldry Campaign”, 4 November 2026, read it here.
Philips lighting and three Diwalis in one film
What they did. Signify, the company behind Philips lighting, launched a Diwali campaign with the hashtag HarDiwaliPhilipsWaali. It traces how lighting has changed in Indian homes over three generations. The film is set in the 1970s, the 2000s and the present day, and follows young couples on their first Diwali in a new home. It moves from traditional bulbs and switches to decorative lights and lights run by an app or by voice. Around the film, the report lists three more things. Newly married and young couples make creator content that shows festive home makeovers with smart lighting. A contest asks people to share pictures and videos of their festive lighting with the hashtag. There are also festive displays at Philips Smart Light Hubs and retail partner stores. Selected contest entrants can win a Philips Light Theatre home entertainment system. The report is dated 6 November 2026 and names no agency or production house.
Why it works (our reading). A light is a thing people buy and forget. The film turns it into a family record. A first Diwali in a new home looks different in each period, while the couple stays the same kind of couple. The central idea in the report is that homes and lighting have changed, but trust in the brand has continued across generations. Our reading is that showing change helps an older brand look current. The contest adds a second step, since viewers become the ones who show the product.
What the report says about impact. The report gives no results yet. It gives no views, entries, sales or budget. Nikhil Gupta, head of strategy and marketing at Signify Greater India, says in the report (paraphrased) that Diwali is a time for families to make lasting memories. He says homes and lighting have changed, but the role of light in bringing people together has not. That is a belief, not a result.
Done before in another industry. We found no earlier campaign in another industry with this three-period idea that we could source, so we leave this line out.
What your business can copy. Show how your product changed while the customer's need stayed the same. Say a small lamp and fittings shop in a town is made up. It posts three photos of its own shop window, from 1995, 2010 and this year, each beside the lamp that sold most then. Use only photos you own, and ask before showing any customer. A contest is optional. If you run one, write the prize and the closing date in the post.
Read the original: afaqs, “Signify showcases Philips lighting's evolution in new Diwali campaign”, 6 November 2026, read it here. We opened one report of this campaign on the publishers we use.
AJIO and the astronaut who brings deals home
What they did. AJIO, an online fashion and lifestyle store, launched Ghar Wapsi, a Diwali campaign built around Ghar Wapsi Deals. The report describes a digital film shot on a mock space station. A mystery Indian astronaut, who cannot get home for the festival, gives shoppers deals as he passes over their cities. The deals grow bigger as he gets closer to a city. MediaInfoline adds that shoppers can track his journey. His identity is teased with jokes and clues. The channels named are the film, the AJIO app and website, influencer collaborations and meme-led content. Both reports name 22feet, part of Omnicom Advertising India, and both are dated 7 November 2026.
Why it works (our reading). A deal on a banner sits still. Here the deal moves, so a shopper has a reason to open the app again and see where the astronaut is and what deal he has brought. The story also supplies a reason for the sale: a person coming home with gifts. In our reading, that makes the discount feel like a festive gift and less like a price cut. Arpan Biswas, AJIO's chief marketing officer, says in the reports (paraphrased) that the aim is excitement, curiosity and discovery, and a reason for shoppers to return.
What the report says about impact. The reports give no results yet. They give no discount levels, reach, sales or budget, and they do not name the influencers. What they state is an aim: to make festive shopping more interactive and rewarding. That is an aim and not a result.
Done before in another industry. In October 2024 afaqs wrote about a 95-second Diwali film by the food delivery app Zomato. An actor plays a senior government official who phones an Indian astronaut, and together they try to light up India enough to be seen from space. The film plays on a widely shared picture of India on Diwali night, said to be taken by NASA, which the report calls debunked. The report says Zomato makes its ads in-house and names no agency (afaqs, 25 October 2024). Both use an astronaut and Diwali to sell something that has nothing to do with space.
What your business can copy. Give your offer a path and not just a date. Say a small sari shop in a town is made up. For five days before the festival it sends one WhatsApp message a day. Each day's gift on a bill of a set size is a little bigger than the day before, ending on the eve. Message only people who agreed to hear from you, and put the full terms in every message. If you pay creators to share the offer, follow our guide to the ASCI code.
Read the original: adgully, “AJIO reimagines 'Ghar Wapsi' with mystery astronaut in new Diwali campaign”, 7 November 2026, read it here. Also reported by MediaInfoline, “AJIO reimagines 'Ghar Wapsi' with a mystery astronaut in its Diwali campaign”, 7 November 2026, read it here.
What the week tells us
- Each brand talked about the moment around the product. A home keeps memories, a Sunday is spoilt by waiting, a first Diwali happens in a new home, and a deal travels.
- In our reading, three of the four sell things that people buy rarely. A feeling or a story helps the buyer remember the brand on the day of buying.
- None of the four reports gives a sales, view or enquiry figure. Copy an idea in small steps and measure your own enquiries, visits or sales.
Our deep-dive on Spinny and the Manki Vlogger series is on the hub too, with every earlier decode: Campaign decode hub. If you want a campaign idea shaped for your own business, our creative campaigns page shows how we think about it.
