As the sun sets on another year, the brand world has once again proven its capacity for innovation and reinvention. In an age where attention spans are fleeting and consumer expectations are higher than ever, advertisers have been challenged to push the boundaries of creativity and ingenuity.

From viral social media sensations to groundbreaking interactive experiences, the past year's branding landscape has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. In this roundup, we'll explore the campaigns that turned heads.

Myntra Maya

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To captivate tech-savvy and fashion-forward Gen Z consumers, Myntra unveiled its first virtual influencer, Maya. The company had established her Instagram profile under the username "maya_unlimited”. Her Instagram profile has garnered a following of almost two lakh, marking a pioneering move for the company in the realm of digital influence. 

Brooke Bond Taj Mahal - Megh Santoor

Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea secured a Guinness World Record for the 'Largest Environmentally Interactive Billboard' with this OOH endeavour, 'Megh Santoor.' This 150-foot-wide installation outside the Vijayawada train station in Andhra Pradesh, India, mesmerized people during the monsoon season. Activated by raindrops, the strings on the billboard produced a harmonious rendition of 'Raag Megh Malhar,' celebrating rainfall through classical Indian santoor music.

Cadbury India’s #MyBirthdaySong

Cadbury Celebrations’ #MyBirthdaySong campaign was an innovative exploration of the quintessential 'Happy Birthday' tune. Developed in collaboration with Ogilvy, Wavemaker, Gan Studio, and Uberduck, the initiative empowered gifters to craft personalised birthday songs according to the recipient’s preferences. By leveraging innovative AI tools, Cadbury Celebrations aimed to transform the universal birthday melody into a unique celebration, emphasizing individuality in a language shared by all.

Pantaloons DOOH Billboard

In a NYC Times Square fashion, Pantaloons brought some OOH innovation to Indian streets with a stand-out CGI ad, that offered a fresh advertising experience through a dynamic 3D billboard. Outside a store in Bangalore, people were amused to see a lifelike shoe unboxing achieved with the use of creativity and digital OOH tech.

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Sunfeast Dark Fantasy ‘Ad with SRK’

Sunfeast Dark Fantasy's campaign, "Dark Fantasy ad with SRK," employs GenAI technology, encouraging fan participation to create personalised ads with Shah Rukh Khan, reinforcing the brand proposition "Har Dil Ki Fantasy" through a TV commercial and multilingual, multi-platform distribution. Through the power of GenAI, fans can transform their fantasies into visually appealing advertisements with SRK, therefore appealing fan participation and user-generated content.

Domino’s Burning Pizza

Domino's Pizza hosted a fiery on-ground event in Gurgaon centred around the new spicy pizza range, it delivered a sensory experience with fiery displays, smokey ambience, and unprecedented spice excitement, leaving onlookers amazed. As an extension, bike-bound delivery riders with trailing smoke showcased the brand's commitment to delivering the Spicy Range to customers' doorsteps.

Coca-Cola’s Diw(AI)i Campaign

Amidst the cacophony of Diwali ad-fest, Coca-Cola's standout campaign diverged from the conventional norms. Ingeniously blending artificial intelligence with art and festivity, they harnessed OpenAI's DALL·E 3 and GPT-4 models to pioneer a fresh approach to Diwali greetings. It empowered individuals to break free from the routine and craft their own, unique Diwali greetings through the company’s AI-powered Create Real Magic platform.