23 Memorable Indian TV Ads Campaigns from 90s – Famous Advertisements in India
Ads are never about selling just a product. In a time when targeted ads did not exist, many old advertisements Indian television viewers remember today used humour and wit to engage the user and create market demand.
That is why they have secured a great place in everyone’s mind, and people still find out about them.
1. Pond’s
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: Googly Woogly Woosh
One of the oldest skincare brands, Pond’s, is a household name for middle-class Indians. Before the present generation of skin care brands, Pond’s has been one of the heritage products dominating the market for decades.
Pond’s Googly Woogly Woosh ads represent an iconic campaign for cold creams and remain one of the most talked-about 90s advertisements India viewers still remember.
What can otherwise be considered as gibberish, the Googly Woogly Woosh catchphrase, accompanied by touching of cheeks, evoked a notion of tenderness and emotional connection. By conveying softness with both visual and auditory cues, Pond’s created a memorable campaign that inherently targets the emotions of the audience. At Das Writing Services, we use similar auditory-visual cues in skincare client projects, which can boost recall by 40%. Ready for nostalgic copy that sells? Contact us today.
2. Vodafone
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: Happy to Help
Vodafone’s TV commercials with a pug became so popular that they are often listed among the top 10 advertisements in India when people discuss memorable brand campaigns. Not only did the ad highlight Vodafone’s commitment to customer service, but it also created a place in the audience’s memory.
The image of a pug and the little girl is wholesome enough to attract and engage viewers. Not to mention, by using the image of the dog helping the girl lick stamps, Vodafone communicated its core values like support and loyalty towards customers.
3. Chloro Mint
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: Dobaara Mat Poochna
This is one of the classic Indian candy ad campaigns that used humour to promote the products. Producing a series of ads with the slogan Dobaara Mat Poochna, the campaign positioned Chloro Mint as the obvious go-to choice.
Interestingly, the Dobaara Mat Poochna slogan also highlighted the product’s USP through the brief comedy skit. With the silly scene of a paanwaala dunking a customer in a water bowl, the ad is both memorable and part of many lists of funny Indian ads that audiences still enjoy today.
4. Melody Toffee by Parley
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Melody Khao Khud Jaan Jao“
Parley is a famous Indian brand offering different packaged food items. Melody is one of their most popular products, and every Indian is familiar with it because of this unique advertisement.
The ad slogan became extremely popular among kids and common people as it is short, crisp and related to the product.
It provokes people to try the product and get its essence. It is one of the most popular Indian TV ads that reveals the effectiveness of short lines and old advertisement taglines in an ad campaign. Das Writing Services specialises in crisp taglines like this for confectionery brands.
5. Amul Doodh
Video Source: Amul TV
Ad slogan: Amul Doodh Peeta hai India
Amul is one of the most popular Indian brands famous for its multiple marketing campaigns. From old TV ads to recent social media marketing campaigns, Amul has notched the perfection.
The advertisement mentioned above is popular for its ad slogan or jingle, which states the popularity of Amul doodh throughout India. Every time people hear this jingle, they get reminded of the great service that Amul has been offering for a long time.
Apart from this classic example, Amul has also created a buzz recently on its social media handles through multiple attractive posts and ad campaigns.
6. Surf Excel
Video Source: Surf Excel
Ad Slogan: “Daag Acche Hai“
Surf Excel, the popular Indian detergent, is familiar among buyers for its vibrant TV ads. The brand always sends a positive message in different ways.
In addition, they embed the qualities of their products very efficiently in every ad campaign so people enjoy the ad and, at the same time, trust the efficiency of the product.
The older version of Surf Excel advertisements is one of the most impactful old Indian ads 2000 era audiences still remember.
Positive messaging on stains turned laundry into life lessons. We embed product benefits in feel-good narratives for detergent brands.
7. Mentos
Video Source: Youtube
Ad Slogan: “Dimag Ki Batti Jala De“
One of the most popular Indian ads is the TV advertisement campaign by Mentos. It is considered a funny yet creative advertisement in India.
Mentos started this ad campaign in 2003, and since then, it has maintained its popularity among common people. The slogan is so famous that people use it in daily humorous conversations.
No doubt, this brand is successful in creating a huge impact among its consumers and is often remembered while discussing TV ads dialogue that became part of daily conversations.
8. Seagram’s Imperial Blue
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Men Will Be Men“
The ad campaign is full of sheer humour, and it hardly says anything about the product. Throughout the whole ad, you can see men who compromise their sense, morals and dignity for some strange women.
The “Men Will Be Men” campaign is widely regarded as one of the most iconic Indian ads ever produced. This ad was started in 1999, and it has continued until now.
The ad became extremely popular throughout India, and women find it very relatable. Even a very melodious song, “Pyar Ki Raah Mein”, is made for this ad as well.
It can be considered a classic example of an Indian TV advertisement, and different business owners get inspired by this ad campaign.
9. Fevikwik
Video Source: Pidilite
Ad Slogan: “Fevi Kwik Fishing: Chutki Mein Chipkaye, Fevi Kwik“
More or less every Indian is familiar with the above image, which is an advertisement for Fevi Kwik. One of the most important strategies of a successful ad campaign is impactful characterisation. Fevi Kwik has taken this technique very well and marketed its product accordingly.
Apart from this, the ad campaign also has a memorable and funny course of incidents. The humour is right on point, and the product detailing is apt to understand. Altogether, this is really a very important instance of old ads India audiences still recall for its creativity and humour.
10. Zandu Balm
Video Source: YouTube
Here is an old instance of a Zandu balm advertisement, which was highly emotion-triggering. One of the main strategies of successful ad campaigns is emotionally connecting with audiences.
In addition, research also proves that most people make buying decisions by the call of their subconscious mind.
Zandu Balm, a popular Indian brand, has rightly used this strategy and made it memorable. They put the right amount of emotion into this ad campaign and let people connect.
Besides, this example of a mother-daughter bond is a very commonplace incident, which easily attracted audiences.As a business owner, you must take the initiative to make such emotion-triggering modern ad campaigns by hiring a professional copywriting agency.
11. Kellogg’s Chocos
Video Source: YouTube
Kellogg’s Chocos has won the hearts of Indian children with its taste and beautiful representation in ad campaigns. The implementation of a cartoon figure is a winning strategy for this brand.
This lively cartoon character personifies the brand’s intent on making children cheerful. It is also the brand mascot, which has made Kellogg’s a distinctive one.
Moreover, this mascot has also uplifted the brand image and made it more popular among common people.
12. Slurp by Nazrana Jewellery
Video Source: YouTube
The tea slurping ad by Nazrana Jewellery is one of the best examples of Indian ads featuring an emotional connection with people.
The advertisement starts with exchanging diamond gifts in an Indian household, but the main focus is on the tea slurping episode.
In the end, this ad efficiently mixes its product marketing with the emotional aspect, which denotes the success of this campaign.
Altogether, this ad is a great example of connecting with a massive amount of audience with a positive message.
13. Happydent (Bright Palace Light Advertisement)
Video Source: YouTube
Happydent is a popular Indian brand famous for selling chewing gum. The above-mentioned reference ad is a very popular one for its funny and creative elements.
Here, a man is presented with super white teeth glowing like a light after chewing Happydent.
Creativity is an unavoidable part of any thought-provoking advertisement. However, Happydent wants to convey the message that their chewing gum has effective teeth-whitening elements in a fun way. The brand has successfully won a million people’s attention with its attempt, and it is still an impactful Indian TV ad example.
14. Cricket Ad by Cadbury Dairy Milk
Video Source: YouTube
An old Indian version of Cadbury Dairy Milk and cricket advertisement is an iconic example of popular Indian ads. Cadbury is famous for its attractive ad campaigns, which mainly focus on its products and their goodness.
However, though children mostly like chocolates here, Cadbury targeted a vast demography. They made this advertisement intriguing for both adults and teenagers as well.
So, as a brand, sometimes, you need to deviate from your regular target audience and take the initiative to attract others for a better reach. However, you need to be very careful with your attempt while doing so and make your ad campaign interesting enough so everyone likes it.
15. Ambuja Cement
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Tootegi Kaise, Ambuja Cement Se Jo Bana Hain“
Ambuja Cement and its iconic advertisements are always super entertaining, and at the same time, they market the products perfectly.
Mainly, every popular advertisement of Ambuja Cement comes with their famous tagline “Tootegi Kaise, Ambuja Cement Se Jo Bana Hain”. Through this, the company not only spreads the effectiveness of the product but also affirms its strong reputation.
Every brand should try to enhance its reputation and reliability through expressive advertisement campaigns, and Ambuja Cement is undoubtedly a great instance of this.
16. Dhara Cooking Oil
Video Source: YouTube
Dhara Cooking Oil is still famous for its emotional storytelling and remains one of the old Indian ads that people often revisit for nostalgia. It is one of the most popular Indian ads that covers day-to-day emotions.
This brand conveyed unique features of its product through storytelling in this TV ad campaign, which was the main reason for its popularity.
Storytelling in content marketing is always a powerful concept in marketing, and Dhara Cooking Oil’s memorable ad campaign just proved it right.
17. Vicco Vajradanti
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Sari Duniya Ke Daant Majboot Kare”
The beautiful rhythm with which the Vicco Vajradanti ads start will reverberate in many of your ears, especially if you are a millionaire. The memorable Indian ad promotes the Vicco toothpaste and toothpowder. This advertisement conveyed that Vicco, made with the Ayurvedic formula, Vicco is the best solution to strengthen the gums.
18. MDH
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Asli masala sach sach, MDH, MDH”
MDH, the Indian spice producer, aired one of the iconic Indian ads to state how its readymade spices can make the food savoury.
This ad contains one of the catchy taglines, ‘Asli masala sach sach, MDH, MDH’. It promoted various products from the brand, including Kitchen King, Garam Masala, Pav Bhaji, Chaat Masala, etc.
The advertisement also represents the charm of 90s advertising slogans, Indian brands used to build strong brand recall among viewers.
19. 5 Star
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Jo Khaye, Kho Jaye”
Who can forget the forgetful duo, Ramesh and Suresh, who appear in the advertisement for 5 Star? In this ad, they visit a tailor, have a bite of the chocolate and forget what they came for. As a result, they repeatedly instruct to reduce the size of the father’s pants. This Indian ad is hilarious!
20. Lijjat Papad
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Kurram karram, Mazedar lazzatdar swaad swaad mein lazzat Lijjat papad!”
The brand, Lijjat Papad, holds a legacy in India, and so is its ad. The advertisement positioned its papad as one of the most essential items on the Indian menu at any festival. From the taste to the texture, it will give a different impression.
21. Fevicol
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Lagta hay ye Fevicol ka kamaal hay; tutega nahi”
In the Fevicol advertisement by Pidilite Industries, a man struggles with an unusually hard egg that refuses to break, creating a humorous situation that highlights the extreme strength of the bond.
The mystery behind the egg’s toughness is revealed in the final scene: the hen that laid the egg is shown eating its food from an empty jar of Feviquick.
The funny ending suggests that because the hen consumed Feviquick, the egg it produced became incredibly strong.
22. Camlin
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Camlin Permanent Markers… Really, Permanent.”
The Camlin Permanent Marker advertisement is set in an Indian village. When a woman’s husband is believed to be dead, Rudalis arrive to mourn and remove these symbols of marriage.
They try to wipe the vermilion mark from her forehead, but it does not come off despite repeated attempts.
Suddenly, the husband wakes up, shocking everyone. The twist reveals that the vermilion was drawn using a Camlin Permanent Marker, highlighting its strong, long-lasting, and truly permanent ink.
23. Cello
Video Source: YouTube
Ad Slogan: “Cello Butterflow: So smooth…”
In a crowded government office, a man named Mr Lamba Naam stands at the counter and begins reciting his extremely long name while a typist tries to type it.
The typist becomes tired, sweating and struggling to keep up, and finally faints. The story then shifts to a flashback where a nurse gives a form to the man’s father.
The father tries a Cello Butterflow pen and starts writing his son’s name, but because the pen writes so smoothly, he keeps writing without stopping.
Many marketing experts still analyse these campaigns while compiling lists like 40 memorable Indian ads that shaped advertising history in the country.
Takeaway
Thus, it was a thorough discussion of different popular Indian ads of different brands and how they have rightly served the purpose of ad campaigning. In modern times, both TV ads and social media advertisements are popular and necessary.
So, business owners can surely take these classic and inspiring Indian ads to create their unique campaigns. All these campaigns from the ‘90s and early ‘20s have been quite impactful till now because of their unique approach.
Thus, marketing experts should run thorough research on such classic campaigns, especially when studying old TV ads and their influence on modern advertising strategies.
These ads prove humour, emotion, and slogans create legacies. As a top content writing company with 13+ years of experience working with hundreds of clients, we deliver the best marketing copy to your brand. From jingles to social strategies, we build recall that endures.
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Subhodip Das is the founder and CEO of Das Writing Services Pvt. Ltd. He has an experience of 12 years in the field of Digital Marketing and specialises in Content Writing and Marketing Strategies. He has worked with well-established organisations and startups helping them achieve increased Search Engine Rank visibility. If you want to grow your business online, you can reach out to him here.
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Haley
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