With the harvest season as their vibrant backdrop, brands celebrating Pongal and Lohri are turning the spotlight on stories that capture the way families truly come together. From quiet, intimate moments at home to immersive, experience-driven celebrations, this year’s campaigns signal a shift from ritual to relationships, from tradition to lived experience. Here’s how brands are ringing in the 2026 harvest season.
South Indian Bank’s Pongal film celebrates relationships over rituals
South Indian Bank’s Pongal campaign in Tamil Nadu foregrounds everyday relationships and a sense of lived-in familiarity, positioning the bank as a long-standing and trusted presence in the state. Set within a typical Tamil neighbourhood, the film captures quiet, intimate moments around the harvest festival—homecomings, family interactions, and shared routines that unfold naturally over the course of the day.
Anchored by the line ‘Uravugal thaan Tamilagathin Valimai’, the campaign draws a clear parallel between the strength of cultural bonds and the bank’s long-held emphasis on relationships. Conceptualised by Human Stories and produced by First Picture Show Company, the film has seen strong digital traction, crossing four crore views within three days of its launch across platforms.
Wonderla Chennai’s Pongal film puts modern family dynamics front and centre
Wonderla Chennai’s new Pongal film reflects how Tamil families celebrate the festival today—layering tradition with humour, everyday chaos, and a touch of playful rebellion. Building on the park’s launch momentum, the campaign extends Wonderla’s ‘Majaa’ positioning into a festive context, capturing the realities of multi-generational households navigating contemporary celebrations.
Conceptualised by OPN Advertising and directed by George K Antoney of Kadhai Films, the film opens inside a familiar Pongal-day household, where everyone is physically present but mentally elsewhere. As minor interruptions accumulate, the narrative gradually shifts from ritual-bound routines to a shared sense of anticipation, eventually moving the family from home to Wonderla Chennai.
This contrast underscores a simple insight: while traditions provide structure, experiences create lasting memories. By positioning the amusement park at the heart of that transition, the film presents Wonderla Chennai as a natural, modern extension of family celebrations—aligned with how families increasingly choose to spend time together today.
Nutella marks Pongal with a culture-led creator retreat in Tamil Nadu
Nutella marked Pongal with a culture-led creator retreat at a seaside resort in Mahabalipuram, bringing together regional creators for an experience rooted in Tamil Nadu’s traditions. The retreat began with a traditional Thapattam welcome, complemented by rangoli installations and Nutella-led visual elements, setting the tone for a day that seamlessly blended local culture with brand presence.
The programme included hands-on activities such as pottery and painting inspired by Pongal motifs, alongside photo installations, live stations, and a Pongal-making ceremony framed by Nutella-branded backdrops. Cultural performances like Bharatanatyam followed, culminating in a Pongal lunch featuring regional dishes such as payasam and paniyaram, reimagined with Nutella.
Staying true to its food-led storytelling approach, the initiative deepened Nutella’s regional engagement by embedding the brand within familiar festive rituals—using food and cultural experiences as the primary touchpoints rather than conventional promotional formats.
Parle-G’s Lohri film explores tradition through a generational lens
Parle-G’s new Lohri film, conceptualised by Thought Blurb Communications, is set in rural Punjab and centres on a father’s promise linked to ancestral land and a daughter who brings modern thinking to honour it. Using Lohri as its cultural backdrop, the film places tradition and progress in dialogue, rather than positioning them in opposition.
Told with restraint and supported by folk-driven music, the narrative prioritises emotion over spectacle. It continues Parle-G’s regional storytelling approach, drawing on cultural context and lived realities to maintain relevance across generations.
Birla Opus Paints’ Pongal film links new beginnings with refreshed homes
Birla Opus Paints has rolled out a Pongal campaign in Tamil Nadu for its ‘Style Colour Smart’ interior range, using the festival setting to show how refreshed home interiors become part of family celebrations. The film follows a newlywed couple living in a joint family as they prepare their home for Pongal, with colour choices influencing both the physical space and the mood of the festivities.
Set within a Tamilian household, the narrative captures familiar moments—from kolam-making to festival preparations—before arriving at a shared moment of togetherness as both sides of the family come together. The campaign positions fresh interiors as a quiet yet meaningful backdrop for new traditions and shared celebrations during Pongal.
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