Mumbai comes alive during Ganesh Chaturthi, with millions converging on the city’s renowned temples and ‘pandals’ to partake in the vibrant and colourful celebrations. The festival is characterised by dynamic dance, music, prayers, and processions, with long lines forming at each temple as devotees sincerely pay their respects to ‘Bappa’. This festival is a powerful unifying force that brings people together.
This year, Mumbai’s iconic Lalbaugcha Raja was anticipated to draw over 10 million devotees alone, presenting a significant opportunity for brands to engage with a massive audience. To engage with the devotees, brands have occasionally seized the chance to make their mark, creating impactful campaigns that resonate with the festive spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi.
And what better way to engage with prospective consumers than by immersing them in the brand experience right where the action is happening – at the heart of Ganesh pandals, where devotion, community, and festive spirit converge?
Improving engagement is at the heart of experiential marketing. When creating a fun and engaging experience for customers, they want to engage with the brand and try it. This approach is the perfect way to demonstrate all the benefits of a product or service and how it can provide a solution to a customer’s problem or sometimes just to become an integral part of the festive mood.
During Ganesh Chaturthi, several brands creatively engaged with devotees through experiential campaigns that captured the festive spirit. While Vi-John set a record with an 8-foot Ganapati statue made entirely from shaving cream and foam, Pulse Candy embraced the concept of ‘Meri Bhakti Mere Bappa,’ using AI to visualise devotees’ interpretations of Lord Ganesha while crafting a modak from their candy. Brands like Coca-Cola India, Signify and Philips and more have joined in with innovative campaigns to effectively engage consumers by blending creativity and cultural relevance.
Let us take a look at these creative experiential campaigns throughout the years.
Vi-John
The brand revealed a 8-foot Ganapati statue, crafted entirely from shaving cream and foam,at Grand Street Mall in Pune. This statue was also was officially recognised by the Asia Book of Records as the ‘Largest Ganapati made out of Shaving Cream and Foam.’
Pulse Candy
Pulse Candy introduced the concept of ‘Meri Bhakti Mere Bappa.’ Drawing a parallel between the multiple avatars of Ganesha and the variety of flavours offered by Pulse Candy, this concept used AI technology to bring devotees’ imagined visualisations of lord Ganesha to life. They also made a ‘modak’ out of pulse candy.
Coca-Cola India
The ‘Happy to Queue’ experience at Andheri Cha Raja during Ganesh Utsav took the shape of a refreshing Coke bottle, where festivalgoers were greeted with mist fans, Coca-Cola bubbles, and a chilled bottle of Coke.
Signify x Phillips
Signify, unveiled a record breaking ‘Largest Illuminated Modak Installation’ recognised by both the Asia and India Book of Records. Powered by Philips lights, towering at 16 feet with a glowing 4-foot base, at the Chintamani Ganpati Mandal and Lal Bagh Cha Raja in Mumbai.
Havells
Last year Havells India rolled out its #HavellsKeDeva campaign. The brand introduced a OOH campaign at Thane’s Majiwada Flyover, where 100 designer fans have been put together to bring alive a unique Lord Ganesh Idol.
Godrej Aer
This year, Godrej Aer extended its presence to four famous pandals, ‘Mumbai Cha Raja’ (Lalbaugh) ‘Girgaon Cha Raja’ (Girgaon),’Khetwadi Cha Ganraj’ (Girgaon) and ‘Fort Cha Icchapurti Ganesh’ (Fort), bringing its signature fragrance zones to the people.
Society Tea
Society Tea presented a Tea Fountain installation at the iconic ‘Lalbaug Ganapati Mannat Line Pandal’. The centrepiece of the installation is an eye-catching 14-foot-high blue kettle, crafted by a team of 10 artists over 45 days, features a 130 kg kettle suspended above a 40 kg cup.
Swiggy Instamart
Swiggy Instamart installed a ‘Modak Dispenser’, where customers ring a bell, triggering an audio sensor that releases a single modak, hygienically packed in a box, within 5 seconds, at Carter road, Mumbai.
Havells
Havells India launched the ‘Safety Cha Deva’ campaign, this out-of-home (OOH) campaign, in collaboration with Posterscope India displayed a Ganesh idol made from 45,000 meters of Havells Flame Retardant (HIL– High Insulation Resistance) wires.
Did you come across any other interesting experiential campaigns for Ganesh Chaturthi? If yes, then share it with us at team@socialsamosa.com or post it in the comments section below.
