Brands tap into Pongal traditions to drive engagement & sales

The mid-January festivities of Pongal are a significant highlight of Tamil Nadu’s cultural calendar, celebrating the arrival of the harvest season. For advertisers, it marks the conclusion of the winter festivities that began with Christmas, presenting a prime opportunity to engage consumers with relevant campaigns. During this period, several key categories step up their advertising efforts, including FMCG, retail, paint, consumer durables, fashion, and jewellery brands — each aiming to capture the attention of high-intent shoppers. 

Brands seamlessly integrate into every aspect of the Pongal celebration. FMCG brands find their place on dining tables, offering essentials for festive feasts. Paint and home renovation brands help transform homes, giving them a fresh and vibrant look for the festivities. From fashion brands offering special ethnic wear collections to quick commerce platforms ensuring last-minute festive needs are met, brands across categories add value to the celebrations, making them more memorable.

OOH advertising is one of the most visible parts of Pongal celebrations, especially in urban districts. “Almost 75% of OOH inventory in Chennai gets booked between 15th and 20th of December by brands running campaigns that cover Christmas, New Year and Pongal. The week-long harvest festival concludes the winter festivities in the city,” shared G. Vinoth Kumar, Sales & Operations Head of the Chennai-based Adinn Advertising Services Ltd. 

He noted that during Pongal, a significant number of brands lean towards offer-based OOH ads, strategically highlighting the discounts and special deals available to consumers. This approach aims to drive immediate sales and create a sense of urgency during the festive season. What sets these campaigns apart is the language and cultural appeal. To deepen their connection with the audience, many brands choose to run their festive OOH ads in regional languages.

The biggest spenders on OOH advertising during Pongal are FMCG, automobile, and paint brands, which invest heavily in ensuring high visibility for their products. The use of OOH formats such as billboards, hoardings, and digital displays becomes particularly prominent, as they allow brands to reach a large audience in high-traffic areas.

“Paint and electrical product brands align with the widespread practice of whitewashing, renovating and decorating homes. FMCG brands focus on traditional food items and celebratory essentials. Real estate brands position themselves around new beginnings and family-centric living,” shared Arunsankar Kumarakurubaran, Co-Founder at Chennai-based Integrated Marketing Agency, 8Spades.

To add a touch of excitement to the festivities, Nippon Paint India has introduced a special campaign this Pongal. Offering opportunities to win exciting prizes, the initiative invites participants who have recently purchased Nippon Paint products to celebrate the season in a fun way, adding to the joy of families across Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Poorvika, a Chennai-based omnichannel tech retailer, has introduced special deals this Pongal, offering exciting discounts on a wide range of home appliances. The campaign encourages customers to celebrate the festive season with smart purchases and get a chance to win gold vouchers, making the celebrations special for both, online and in-store shoppers. 

Continuing its annual tradition of inviting fashion enthusiasts to shop at the ‘Pongal Store’, Myntra launched the ‘Putham Pudhu Pongal’ campaign this year. Focussing on Pongal’s vibrant customs and joys, the campaign captures the essence of new beginnings and togetherness, offering consumers a curated collection of fashion products to enhance their celebrations.

“While digital channels remain an essential part of campaign strategies, Pongal is also a festival where brands meet their customers offline, where they celebrate. Brands organise on-ground activations like rangoli (kolam) competitions, uriyadi contests, and cooking challenges, fostering a festive and competitive spirit among audiences. These initiatives create a direct and memorable connection with customers, making Pongal one of the most engaging festivals for brands,” Kumarakurubaran added.

Phoenix Marketcity Chennai has stepped up the in-mall celebrations with festive sales and limited-time offers that incentivise footfall and encourage higher spending. The mall has also created traditional Pongal game zones and experiential marketing initiatives to create memorable and immersive experiences for visitors, especially families with young children. 

Retail brands at Phoenix Marketcity Chennai are leveraging varied marketing strategies to maximize ROI and sales during Pongal 2025. These include festive campaigns with limited-edition products and collaborations, ads across digital, print, and social media platforms, and personalized email and SMS promotions offering limited-time discounts. In-mall digital and traditional advertisements on screens and hoardings are boosting visibility for both online and in-store shopping, driving consumer engagement throughout the festive season.

With the potential to achieve high unit sales and a natural opportunity to build narratives that tap into emotional connections, retail FMCG brands are offering discounts and festive deals, attracting consumers with value-driven purchases during the Pongal season.

“Pongal is deeply tied to the harvest, and as a brand working extensively with farmers, we take immense pride in supporting and honouring their contributions,” said Janardhan Swahar, Managing Director & CEO of Y-Cook. The company’s flagship brand, Tadaa, is offering exclusive 15 to 25% in-store discounts on varied tray and party packs.

Y-Cook is focusing on in-store promotions this Pongal, emphasizing direct engagement at the point of purchase. Swahar explained, “Food is not just sustenance but a reflection of love and care, connecting with customers directly at the store feels more meaningful. While we are not running social media campaigns this time, our in-store displays will highlight the essence of Tadaa and its role in preparing wholesome Pongal meals.”

Ghee holds a cherished place in cooking and rituals during Indian festivals like Pongal. Tamil Nadu-based GRB Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd has embraced this tradition with a campaign that highlights the various ways in which Ghee enhances the festivities. The campaign captures the spirit of togetherness, tradition, and joy that unites families during this festive season.

Jewellery brands like Joyalukkas, GRT Jewellers, Kalyan Jewellers, NAC Jewellers and Bhima Jewellers have also launched Pongal campaigns, showcasing their festive jewellery collections and offering special discounts and gifts with every purchase. 

“Our specially curated Pongal collections reflect the essence of the festival, giving customers a unique and festive reason to invest in timeless jewellery. To enhance the shopping experience, we’re also introducing immersive in-store elements that make every visit memorable and engaging,” said Anish Varghese, DGM-Marketing, Joyalukkas.

Speaking about the brand’s strategy to promote its Pongal-themed ‘Timeless Jewellery’ campaign, Varghese shared that the brand is strategically focussing on a combination of digital and print platforms. “Digital channels allow us to target specific audience segments with personalised offers and messages tailored to their festive shopping needs. From social media campaigns and search ads to influencer collaborations, we’re ensuring Joyalukkas is front and centre during this festive period, maximising visibility and engagement,” he said. 

“Complementing this is our robust presence in print media, a trusted and influential medium in Tamil Nadu, particularly during festivals when customers actively look for offers and promotions. By advertising in leading Tamil newspapers, we aim to reach a wide and diverse audience, ensuring our campaigns leave a lasting impact,” he added.

Creative strategies during Pongal include festive wish posts, community-driven contests, and curated discounts, all designed to blend storytelling with measurable impact. Brands are increasingly using this festive period to go beyond promoting products and creating a deeper connection with their audiences — turning them into customers. “Pongal is not just a marketing occasion but a chance to co-create with partners and audiences, crafting stories as vibrant and inspiring as the festival itself,” Kumarakurubaran said, encapsulating the essence of the brand-consumer connect in Tamil Nadu this Pongal.