Indeed it was a blessed fortnight in the adland with some very interesting and quirky ads rolled out. In this edition of the Best Ads of the Fortnight, we take stock of some of the ad campaigns that wowed us between September 15 and 30. As always, they have been listed alphabetically.

ACKO

Among our top favourite spots of the fortnight was the ACKO's Munna and Circuit ad. Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi reprised their roles again, bringing back the same chemistry and hilarity synonymous with the characters.

Channeling nostalgia, ACKO brought back the beloved duo for the brand's ACKO Platinum Health Plan. Munna and Circuit become the voice of reason, highlighting some of the most ridiculous clauses of health insurance policies today. The characters are befitting for the ad since Munna Bhai MBBS was a film that explored ethics and compassion in the steely field of medical practice.

The ad is directed by the OG Rajkumar Hirani and is conceptualised by Leo Burnett India. This year incidentally also marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Munnabhai MBBS.

Apollo Tyres

In its ode to engineers all over the world, Apollo Tyres settled the man vs machine debates in favour of man. The brand tipped its hat to the unsung heroes behind the machines that shape our lives on Engineers' Day.

The ad shows anthropomorphic machines in a factory boasting about their superiority over human ingenuity. They contend that they can function just as well even without human help. They are, of course, swiftly proven wrong.

DaMENSCH

Men's innerwear brand DaMENSCH is on a mission to redefine what modern masculinity means with its new campaign #SoSoft. The title is a double entendre on not only the softness of the fabric but also the softer side of masculinity that often goes underappreciated.

The ads show men moved to tears by everyday situations such as a girlfriend's thoughtfulness, finding a match on dating apps and watching sports.

It's not the first time that a brand has attempted to challenge traditional masculine stereotypes by presenting a more realistic picture of men's inner lives. But it's commendable that DaMENSCH has pushed the envelope by being quirky instead of preachy.

Disney + Hotstar

Even before the ad was released, there were pictures of a bound-and-gagged Kapil Dev getting "abducted" doing their rounds on the internet. Many people on X (Formerly Twitter), including cricketer turned politician Gautam Gambir were concerned for Dev's safety when out of nowhere integrated creative agency MANJA took "responsibility" for the so-called abduction.

It was a Disney+ Hotstar ad, announcing the free streaming of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. The film shows villagers taking Dev hostage in a spaghetti western-style drama to negotiate a deal with the local police over good streaming services.

Sting Blue

Pepsico's energy drink brand Sting recently launched a new product variant -- Blue. To call the ad quirky is an understatement and has managed to stand out despite being a 30-second spot. The ad starts with a couple on a date at night star gazing. The woman suddenly expresses her desire to see a shooting star. The man obliges by taking a swig out of the Sting Blue bottle. Lo and behold! He powers up with energy, rockets skywards and shoots across the sky like a ...you guessed it, a shooting star. It is deceptively quirky and delightfully ridiculous.