The spooky Western festival of Halloween has made its entry into pockets of India. This year, ITC Foods’ sour candy brand Candyman Sourzzz is giving the festival an Indian makeover with its ‘A Desi Halloween’ campaign. Halloween across the world may be filled with vampires, werewolves and spooky pumpkins, but Candyman Sourzzz is summoning homegrown legends Tangy Tantrik, Sour Sundari, and Meetha Khatkula for some Indian-style horror. The digital-first launch reawakens these forgotten Indian spirits inside a crumbling haveli and they rediscover their “flavour of horror” through Candyman Sourzzz, leading to an explosion of neon colour, nostalgia, and desi mischief. Snacking brand Bingo! Mad Angles, also from ITC, has gone the same route with a wickedly witty Halloween protest campaign, ‘Desi Bhoot Bachao’ (Save our own desi ghosts). Arguing that our ‘bhoots’ have been sidelined by their videshi counterparts, Bingo! leads a mad, spirited protest to bring back the OG Indian ghosts. The film unfolds as a spoof news special featuring angry citizens, a confused news anchor and a chorus of forgotten desi bhoots demanding justice.

No more nightmares

Arth by Emcure, backed by Namita Thapar of Shark Tank fame, has rolled out a fun Halloween social post titled ‘Putting Nightmares to Sleep’, focusing on its melatonin infused sleep-support gummies. The concept flips the spooky Halloween trope on its head, reminding everyone that while the season may be filled with ghosts and ghouls, a good night’s sleep can chase any nightmare away.

Fighting FOMO

Škoda Auto India, in partnership with BBH India, has launched a unique campaign, titled ‘Heartbreak’, to celebrate the launch of the iconic Škoda Octavia RS (Rally Sport), which has limited units up for reservation. The film captures the thrill of the rally-bred performance machine, creating a strong sense of aspiration and FOMO among enthusiasts and fans alike. Extending the experience beyond the film, Škoda Auto India has introduced an interactive microsite, where fans can engage with the brand. For instance, it features a ‘non-owner’s manual’, a playful take on the traditional car manual, which helps fans navigate the heartbreak of not owning the Octavia RS.

Own your menopause

i-Know, the women’s health brand from Piramal Pharma, has dropped its latest campaign, titled #OwnYourMenopause and conceptualised by DDB Mudra Group. The campaign brings together real stories of women navigating perimenopause and menopause. Through metaphor-led storytelling, the films translate the indescribable: from brain fog that leaves one unsure of where they last left their salt container to hot flashes that feel like global warming — but inside one’s body. The campaign captures these experiences as visuals that resonate deeply. Each story is a reminder that the affected women are not alone and what they’re experiencing has a name, a reason and support available. It spotlights the brand’s home-based urine test for elevated levels of follicle stimulating hormone, an indicator of menopause.

Blockbuster look

Menswear brand Peter England has just launched ‘The Bollywood Wedding’, a glitzy campaign featuring Karan Johar and Rohit Saraf that is full of style and sass. Conceptualised by Ogilvy India, the attention- grabbing film opens in a showroom with Karan Johar, playing the ringmaster of fashion, trying to find ideal outfits for those attending a wedding — the best man, the bride’s ex (an oops! moment) and, finally, the groom. Rohit Saraf, playing the modern groom, oozes panache and his look is proclaimed as a “blockbuster” by Johar. With punchy cinematic lines, the ad hits all the right notes.

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Published on November 3, 2025