Advertising once shaped culture — now it follows trends

Remember the Fevicol elephant-bridge ad? It wasn’t just an ad. It was legacy, built into a 30-second story. Or Surf Excel’s Daag Acche Hain, which made mud a metaphor for morality—a masterclass in emotion-first persuasion.

These weren’t just campaigns. 

They were cultural bookmarks.

Fevicol bonded families. Surf Excel redefined stains. Now, most brands chase trends while these icons play it safe.

Fast-forward to 2025, our feeds are crammed not with vision, but with virality. 

“You say Prashant, we hear croissant.”

It racks up 17K likes. And then?

Swiggy or Zomato—both witty, both quick.

But what sets them apart? 

If you swapped their names on their posts, would anyone notice? 

If your identity can be copied and pasted into your competitor’s brand book, 

Then is it even an identity?

Today’s brands ride the meme wave with such fervour that you'd think originality was a crime.

Trend-chasing is shrinking us

We used to build ZooZoos.

Now we build 'viral’ content calendars.

In this mad dash to ride every trend, we’re losing what made brands distinct.

Consider OYO’s full-page Republic Day 2025 ad. 

It likened room availability to God’s divine omnipresence—intended as clever, received as tone-deaf. #BoycottOYO trended, and the brand promptly hit delete.

Compare that to Dream11’s 2025 IPL campaign: 

Aamir Khan vs Ranbir Kapoor, cricketers in on the joke, punchlines grounded in fandom. 

It wasn’t safe. It was specific. And it stuck.

India is roaring—culturally, politically, and creatively.

OTTs are blooming.

Regional cinema is mainstreaming.

Liberals, drag culture, vegan activism—all gaining ground.

And yet, advertising stands in the corner, whispering. 

Not because it has nothing to say, but because it fears being heard.

Agencies that once led the conversation now ask:

“Will this offend someone on X?” before “Will this move the needle in real life?”

Real reasons, real fear

Tanishq’s interfaith wedding film, Dabur’s lesbian Karwa Chauth advertisement, and Starbucks’ Pride campaign—each was withdrawn under pressure, serving as a cautionary tale.

So now, brands self-censor.

They run scripts through legal, PR, and risk teams before a creative ever touches it.

We’ve built internal boycotts before external ones even begin.

Every campaign is run through the lens of “Who might cancel us?” rather than “Who might remember us?”  The audience has power—and brands are unsure of which way the cookie crumbles.

We’re flooded with data and yet parched for insight.

According to The State of Creativity 2025 report from Lions Advisory (sister brand of Cannes Lions), “51% of marketers say their consumer understanding is too shallow to inspire meaningful work.”

With project-based billing and quarterly targets, the goal isn’t building brand love.

It’s delivering this week’s post. 

So, we get snackable, skippable, soulless ads.

What needs to change

Cannes data shows brands that take creative risks generate four times higher profit margins than those that don’t.

Agencies need to pitch brave.

Clients need to back brave. 

And leadership must reward bravery.

Craft and insight

Start with culture, not Canva.

Stop chasing audio clips and start asking harder human questions.

Not merely asking, “What’s trending?” but rather, “What’s true?” What is the human insight?

Long-game thinking

We need more Happydents and Amuls and fewer one-trick ponies.

Characters, arcs, repeatability—that’s how brands are remembered.

Respect complexity

Speak in dialect. 

Go hyperlocal. 

Don’t fear nuance—India is nuance. And the audience gets it!

Measure meaning

Likes are a dopamine hit. 

Loyalty is a bottom line. 

Stop selling virality. Start selling value.

You don’t need more reels. You need more resonance.

You don’t need to trend. You need to matter.

Because if advertising doesn’t shape culture, it can’t shape affinity, and without affinity, advertising will remain a transaction.

(Our guest author, Neville Medhora, is the Chief Transformation Officer at ADK Global. He's a seasoned digital leader with over 25 years of experience driving transformation at the intersection of design, branding, UI/UX, web technology, and digital marketing.)