How Zepto pulled off more than 50 ads in 6 months without breaking the bank

If there’s one thing Zepto excels at—besides making deliveries at lightning-fast speeds—it’s crafting standout ads.

Launched in 2021, the quick commerce platform initially made its mark by delivering groceries in just 10 minutes. Over time, Zepto expanded into new categories, including electronics, sports essentials, skincare, footwear, and more. To highlight its growing product range, the platform regularly rolls out fresh ad campaigns for various brands.

Devargh Mukherjee, senior creative manager at Zepto, sheds light on the strategy behind crafting a steady stream of witty and impactful ads. Since joining in September 2024, he has been a part of more than 50 ads launched in just six months! What sets these campaigns apart is their originality—each ad remains engaging, relatable, and tailored to the right audience without feeling repetitive.

Unlike traditional agencies, where ideas go through endless rounds of approvals, Zepto’s process is super-fast. “We know we have only 30 seconds of a consumer’s time. Our biggest audience is our customers. So, we just want to entertain and sell—nothing else,” says Mukherjee.

The in-house creative model allows them to move swiftly. “We don’t have to go through multiple layers of approvals. At agencies, you have to deal with account managers, creative directors, and CEOs—it’s a long, tedious process. Here, we only need the approval of a few individuals to proceed." This streamlined approach means that Zepto can ideate, shoot, and release an ad within a week—sometimes even in just four to five days.

Secondly, instead of juggling with multiple vendors, Zepto works with one dedicated production house—Third Floor Films—that streamlines the entire process. “Since they know work is always coming, they’ve built an efficient system—scripting, shooting, grading, and editing all happen seamlessly.”

The qDASDASDAuick commerce company chooses a few brands for each category video, but how do they really choose brands? Mukherjee reveals that strategy involves partnerships with relevant brands to enhance category growth and mutual benefit. So whenever the company thinks of making a new film, they simply ask brands who are interested to be a part of it, and they have a lineup already.

The key to this cost efficiency lies in Zepto’s streamlined approach. Unlike agencies that outsource various elements of production, Zepto keeps everything in-house, ensuring consistency while cutting costs.

Zepto’s cost-efficient model enables them to create brand films, go-to-market campaigns, and performance ads within the same budget. 

“We pick brands that will grow our category and have fun working with us. Moreover, the ads we make with them aren’t something they would typically create for their platforms. With us, they have the opportunity to experiment with a different tone."

For instance, Whisper usually makes long-formatted conversational ads, but with Zepto, they agreed to do it in a different way. Similarly, the Honasa sunscreen ad played on the fear of the sun like a horror film, making it dramatically different from conventional sunscreen ads.

While Zepto’s approach is fun and unconventional, not every brand immediately buys in; Zepto isn't an agency that will keep pitching ideas one after the other, after all. 

Collaboration is the key here, and the brand does come up with good ideas too. “For the Surf Excel Holi film, someone from the brand side suggested making the Zepto delivery guy the hero of the story. We took the feedback, rewrote the script, and it worked beautifully.”

Despite producing over 50 films in various genres, the company doesn't have a brand ambassador. Probably because the guy in the purple uniform delivering the products has all the spotlight. Unlike most e-commerce ads where the delivery person is just a background character, Zepto has turned its riders into a brand identity.

“Our guy isn’t just a delivery person—he’s part of the fun. In the Eno ad with Anurag Kashyap, he got a fist bump. In the Honasa film, he was chilling in the pool at the end. In the ID Fresh Food film, he was casually having breakfast while the maid cooked. We make sure he has a role beyond just handing over a bag,” Mukherjee explains.

Zepto carefully selects celebrities who feel authentic to the brand; they don’t heavily rely on celebrities and influencers for marketing. For example, while it’s hard to imagine SRK buying groceries, Akshay Kumar seems like someone who actually would, making him a natural fit.

Zepto's ads prioritise performance over virality, focusing on content that directly appeals to consumers rather than aiming for massive online trends. Moreover, they tailor the content based on where it's being posted.

For storytelling on platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram, longer cuts are used, while for performance marketing, shorter (6–10-second) versions are taken out. The scripting process is designed for flexibility—each film is structured scene by scene, so editors can seamlessly cut from one point to another without losing coherence.

With another four to five ads ready to roll out soon, Zepto isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Their secret? Speed, creative freedom, and a knack for finding humour in everyday life.

Mukherjee sums it up best: “We’re here to have fun, make you laugh, and get you to order from Zepto. Simple.”