From C.I.D. to Asian Paints; nostalgia was the toast of marketers in ‘24

Nostalgia was the toast of marketers across India in 2024. With media so fragmented and viewers’ attention spans at extreme lows, the adage ‘old is gold’ seemed the only effective way to stand out amongst people.

It started with theatre halls playing reruns of old movies when there was a drought of new Hindi movies, and it worked. From Rockstar and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara to Veer-Zaara and Kal Ho Naa Ho, today, these old movies offer an alternative revenue stream for theatre owners.

How could advertising be left behind in this trend?

Old jingles make a comeback

One of advertising’s most powerful tools was the use of jingles. Such was their potency that many are still alive in people’s minds and are more loved than movie songs of that time.

In April, during the Indian Premier League, Tata Salt’s new ad played a 41-year-old jingle: Namak ho Tata ka, Tata Namak.

It was an interesting move, but could today’s viewers connect with it because many would not have heard of it?

“Our intention was not to relaunch the jingle,” said Deepika Bhan, president, packaged foods, Tata Consumer Products, to afaqs!, and added that they wanted to up the connection many have with Tata Salt and up the salience while at it. 

Move to November and over-the-counter pain medication Saridon brought back its iconic 90s jingle, albeit with a modern spin: Sirf ek Saridon, ab har dard se aaraam, read the new lyrics, created by musician Mayur Jumani.

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“We wanted to connect with today's audience, especially the younger consumers who relate to contemporary music. Secondly, the revamped jingle reflects Saridon's expansion into body pain relief with the launch of Saridon Head and Body. So we wanted to leverage this iconic property,” explained Ritu Mittal, head of marketing and digital, Bayer Consumer Health India (Saridon’s parent company).

Not the jingle, the entire ad as it was

Jingles making a comeback is one thing, but in the age of 10-second ads, Asian Paints decided to bring back its 40-second spot as it was. One of Indian advertising’s most popular ads, Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hain, was played again this year.

“The ad is ageless and came when we started our foray into homes. The emotion about a home reflecting your personality is relevant even today. This feeling is what encouraged us to bring back the ad,” explained Amit Syngle, MD and CEO, Asian Paints.

We (afaqs!) asked Ogilvy chief advisor Piyush Pandey—he made the first ad, and it’s him doing the voice-over—if he considered a new ad for the new age.

“We are operating in a scenario where we know we’ve got something that will last. We don't want something that goes viral for two days and doesn’t leave an impact on you. It's very simple: we’ve got a classic,” he responded.

Characters pull off a Mihir Virani

Mihir Virani is known more for returning from the dead than being married to Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, the most popular character ever in the Indian soapverse. Advertising in 2024 followed the same playbook.

Characters from the Sony TV show C.I.D. appeared on screen for the first time since the show wrapped up in 2018 after a 20-year run that started in 1998. The characters, this year, have appeared in ads for Colgate, Nykaa, the MPL Gaming app, and Netflix India.

And the cast of C.I.D. were not the only ones making a comeback; Shaktimaan made a pitch for mattress brand Gadda Co, iconic vamp Komolika appeared in ads for YouTube with her arch-rival Prerna, and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’s cast came back to life for Urban Company.

Wait. It was not just TV characters pulling off a Mihir Virani; the movies were not far behind. We saw Kareena Kapoor play Poo and Geet again for Goibibo, and Abhay Deol reprised his role from Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! for WhatsApp; Boman Irani returned as Virus of 3 Idiots for Flipkart; Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt as various filmy characters for Rungta Steel, and Karisma Kapoor dancing to Sona Kitna Sona Hai for Swiggy Instamart, of course.