I still fondly remember the good old days when an Amul Girl ad on page 2, top right-hand corner of The Times of India, or a catchy Nirma jingle on DD-1 before Chitrahaar, was all it took to grab attention.

But time has changed – A LOT.

Today, traditional marketing struggles to hook a new generation of consumers whose day start and end online. 

So, how brands are adapting to this shift?

Take Zomato’s hilarious foodie zodiac signs (1), which went viral, proving that humour and relatability bond better than a Y-A-W-N inducing newspaper ad. Flipkart’s kid-centric ads (2) attracted both bouquet and brickbats in the traditional space years ago, but now their strength lies in mining data to send you personalized offers for products you searched for just yesterday. 

Welcome to targeted advertising.

Also, Cred’s IPL campaigns, featuring Rahul Dravid as Indiranagar ka gunda (3) or a quirky campaign named Not everyone gets it (4) parodied old ads featuring Madhuri Dixit Anil Kaporr and Bappi Lahiri, created a cultural moment that no billboard could match.

Even influencers on Instagram have reshaped advertising—think beauty brands like Plum (5) or Sugar Cosmetics (6) , which collaborate with creators to demo products in a way that feels personal, (aka Parasocial Interaction – in case you want to impress your boss with a jargon) not pushy.

Experiential campaigns are another big game changer.

Remember Cadbury’s Not Just a Cadbury Ad (7) during Diwali, which supported local stores by incorporating their names into ads? It wasn’t just a campaign—it was an emotional connection that encouraged call to action.

The shift is clear.

Brands aren’t just marketing—they’re creating experiences. 

Traditional marketing isn’t passe yet, but it’s being nibbled away by strategies that are smarter and way more fun.

Reference

1.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/zodiacs-astrology/zodiac-signs-that-are-foodies-find-out-your-eating-preferences/articleshow/110134722.cms

2.https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/advertising/flipkarts-kids-are-back-campaign-stirs-debate-about-second-innings-for-ad-ideas/53853571

3. https://theprint.in/feature/brandma/jammy-to-indiranagar-ka-gunda-rahul-dravid-the-wall-of-advertising-even-after-cricket-pitch-exit/1832062/

4. https://www.afaqs.com/news/advertising/so-how-did-cred-get-its-ipl-ads-right-director-ayappa-credits-his-clientfor-taking-the-idea-forward

5. https://www.instagram.com/plumgoodness/?hl=en

6. https://www.instagram.com/trysugar/?hl=en

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WECsbqAQSk