When you think of Holi, it’s easy to imagine a burst of colours, fun-filled chaos, and a little harmless mischief with your closest friends. But this year, The Times of India flipped the script with a campaign that wasn’t just about celebration , it was about conscious celebration. And it worked. The campaign stood out not for being loud or extravagant, but for being thoughtful, timely, and purpose-led. At its heart, it asked a simple but powerful question: Can we celebrate Holi joyfully, without harming the environment?
The Idea: A Festival with Purpose
TOI’s objective was twofold , to create awareness around Eco-Friendly Holi, and promote the craft of using newspapers to create playful Holi accessories. It was rooted in sustainability, but not in a way that felt boring or heavy-handed. The core concept was clear: let’s collaborate with influencers who could spread the message organically. Instead of one-sided ads or generic slogans, TOI chose to weave the message into storytelling , something that audiences would actually stop and listen to.
The Power of the Right Influencers
To bring the idea to life, TOI collaborated with macro influencers like Anisha Dixit and Saloni Gaur, two names known for their strong online presence and entertaining, relatable content. Both creators are known for mixing humour with social commentary, making them ideal voices to communicate a message about celebrating responsibly.
Together, they produced content that didn’t feel like a campaign , it felt like a conversation. The messaging was clear but never preachy, and it flowed naturally into the kind of content their audiences love. To top it off, TOI also brought on board Jay Bhanushali, a well-known TV personality whose presence gave the campaign a broader reach and mainstream appeal. His support helped amplify the message across different audience demographics.
The Craft: Where Newspapers Became the Hero
The creative twist? Using actual TOI newspapers as material for Holi props. It was symbolic and clever , newspapers (a product of the brand itself) became a medium of colour, fun, and awareness.
These handcrafted props not only represented sustainability, but also added a visually unique touch to the content. This helped the videos stand out in an ocean of Holi content flooding timelines during the festival.
The Numbers That Tell the Story
The campaign wasn’t just creatively satisfying , it delivered big.
Here’s what it achieved:
- 8.7 million+ video views
- 8.3 million+ reach
- 9.4 million+ engagements
These are more than vanity metrics. They represent conversations sparked, perspectives shifted, and awareness created at scale , exactly what a purpose-driven campaign aims to do.
Why It Worked
What made this campaign successful wasn’t just the influencers or the creative , it was the alignment of message, medium, and moment. Holi was the perfect time to talk about celebration, but doing it through the lens of sustainability gave it meaning. It also helped that TOI didn’t force the message. Instead, they collaborated with creators who genuinely resonated with the values behind the campaign, making the execution feel authentic and engaging.
In an age where audiences are hyper-aware of “branded” content, this campaign felt refreshingly real. TOI’s Holi campaign is proof that brands don’t need to shout the loudest to be heard. Sometimes, a quiet but meaningful message , backed by the right creators, smart execution, and a cause worth caring about , can create far more impact. By choosing to promote eco-consciousness in a fun, culturally-rooted way, TOI showed that marketing can do more than just sell , it can inspire. And this Holi, they did just that.
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