I must admit something publicly, and I am not ashamed of it. So, dear people from the marketing, advertising and communication fraternity- the one who really believes in Brand building before you and my friends revoke my honorary cynicism badge from the social media handles, I must confess, I was in the flow, I had almost convinced myself that long-format advertising was dead, buried under skip buttons and short attention spans.
That would be dramatic and theoretically not right. But it is limping. I had begun to sigh the sigh of the seasoned adwallah who mutters, “Bas ab reels hi reh gaye hain,” every time a brand brief says shorter, faster, louder- today and yesterday. And then, in the last six or seven months, something suspicious happened. Maybe you have noticed it too.
I liked five ads.
Not politely appreciated.
Not professionally approved. Liked.
The kind of liked where you rewind voluntarily. For someone who had almost begun drafting a thoughtful think-piece titled “In Loving Memory of Long-Format Advertising,” this was both inconvenient and mildly embarrassing.
Because five good films in half a year are statistically significant in today’s rapidly changing ecosystem. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a trend clearing its throat and trying to cling to the last straws in choppy mid-sea.
Take Coca-Cola, playfully leaning into nostalgia, with that mischievous nod to Jeera legacy (RIMZIN JEERA) and a shout-out to a different craft of ad making. Nostalgia is a dangerous tool- like the Hing in your dishes. A pinch delights; a spoonful destroys dinner. But this film knew its dosage. It didn’t drag the past onto the stage with violins. It simply opened the door and let memory walk in wearing sneakers. The charm lay in tone: light, self-aware, and confident enough. That’s craft.
Then came the odd film for the STEADFAST currency counting machine. You know an ad is interesting when you can’t immediately tell which category template it belongs to. Is it a product demo? Is it a mood film? or Is it performance art for accountants? It treats precision differently. No forced punchline, no hyperactive voiceover, just a rhythm that is confident and takes you along a misleading, confusing, and obtuse storyline. Applause to the creative who imagined it, the presenter who defended it, and the client who didn’t interrupt with, “Can we add a dancing family?” This is what happens when logic meets nerve. Anyway currency counter in a Digital era must be a shrinking market.. It is different that I had to see the file three times to get the brand name, and that is the area the creative needs to improve.
Next up: Chupps Footwear and its biodegradable chappal narrative. In footwear advertising, two things are believed to sell sandals: slow motion and tapping feet that always get airborne at the opportune moment. This film instead sells philosophy. Sustainability. Linking slippers to life cycles could have turned preachy faster than a sustainability seminar. But the execution stays warm, simple, and faintly mischievous. It doesn’t lecture. It smiles. And that smile stayed with me much longer than most taglines. Okay, I must be biased as I am deeply interested in death and rituals, and this answered a lot of silly questions.
Then Jio reminded us why stories matter. Telecom advertising usually behaves like it has consumed three energy drinks and a motivational podcast. But this film slows down. It lets narrative breathe. Instead of shouting about speed, it celebrates what travels through voices, emotions, and moments. Ironically, by stepping back, the brand steps forward in recall. That’s not media planning. That’s storytelling intelligence.
And finally, CEAT with Zoya Akhtar in its “Too Precise” outing. The whole story of the director wanting to change the tyres because they won’t give her the vehicle’s dance during the chase, even after she has used water and gravel. Yet here, the precision delivery becomes the personality. The film plays on her reputation for attention to detail and turns it into a brand metaphor. No overacting. No tyre clichés. Just a sharp idea executed with class. The result? A film that respects viewer intelligence, which is always a risky but rewarding strategy.
Now, are these perfect films? No. But perfection is overrated anyway; it usually arrives overdressed and late. What these ads are, instead, is alive. Each one carries a pulse, an idea strong enough to hold attention without begging for it.
And that’s the revelation.
The problem was never format length. Not 60 seconds. Not 90 and Not long-format storytelling. The real problem was creative breathlessness. Somewhere along the way, we confused speed with impact and noise with memorability.
These five films politely disagree.
They prove that if the thought is fresh and the tone is honest, audiences will gladly stay longer than the skip timer.
Five good films in six months may not sound like a revolution. But in today’s fragmented, distracted, scroll-happy ecosystem, it’s practically a festival lineup.
So I stand corrected, cheerfully, thankfully, and with professional relief. Long-format and television commercials are not fading relics. They’re just selective about when they show up.
And when they do show up with a solid idea, a confident script, and a client brave enough to say “haan, karte hain,” they don’t whisper for attention.
They earn it.
And maybe you have felt likewise. If the last few months prove anything, it’s that long-format advertising is not dead — it’s just waiting for better ideas.” Do you agree with me? Are there any ads you would like to add to my list?
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Make it six- as I also liked GOEL TMT – BAND BAAJA BITYA ad. Hope you have watched them.
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