Question

Observe advertisements during traditional festivals such as Diwali, Durga Puja, Ganesh Puja, Dusserah, Karwa Chauth, Id, Christmas. Collect different advertisements from the print media. Watch the electronic media also. Note what the messages of these advertisements are about.

Answer 1

An observation of festive advertisements across print and electronic media during celebrations like Diwali, Durga Puja, Eid, and Christmas reveals a powerful intersection between traditional cultural values and modern consumerism. The central messages of these advertisements rarely focus purely on a product’s technical utility; instead, they sell an emotional experience rooted in family bonding, homecoming, and the renewal of relationships. For instance, automobile, jewellery, and electronics brands frequently construct narratives around a family member returning home from afar to surprise their parents, or a spouse gifting something meaningful to express love, framing the act of commercial purchasing as an essential expression of traditional filial piety, care, and religious devotion.

Furthermore, these advertisements actively drive the commercialisation of rituals by redefining sacred traditions through the lens of modern lifestyle aspirations. Traditional concepts of sharing sweets or handmade gifts are systematically repackaged by multinational corporations into premium corporate gifting hampers, luxury chocolates, and gold coins, making expensive consumer spending a benchmark for festive prosperity and social status. Concurrently, electronic media campaigns increasingly introduce progressive messaging within these traditional settings, focusing on themes like eco-friendly celebrations, breaking gender stereotypes in kitchen preparation, or encouraging inclusivity toward domestic workers and marginalised neighbours. Consequently, the overarching message of modern festive advertising is a dual one: it preserves the emotional and nostalgic core of traditional community values while successfully integrating them into a hyper-commodified, urban consumer culture.