5 Timeless Mother’s Day Campaigns That Still Make Us Feel

How Iconic Brand Stories Help Us Connect, Reflect, and Grow Each Year

As Mother’s Day approaches, we at BuzzOmni are taking a step back—not just to celebrate the occasion, but to spotlight the most powerful Mother’s Day campaigns in India that continue to influence emotional branding today.

These campaigns are more than just well-crafted ads. They’re storytelling milestones that demonstrate how brands can connect generations, spark digital conversations, and embed themselves in the cultural moment. Whether you’re a brand strategist, content creator, or media planner, these iconic efforts offer a roadmap for building memorable brand love.

1. Google India – #TogetherOnline: First Day

Year: 2017

The Story

A young woman reflects on her first day at school—long hours away from her mother. Years later, she finds her mom trying to navigate the internet. In a gentle reversal of roles, she teaches her mom how to search, explore, and learn online.

Why It Worked

• Cultural Truth: Many Indian mothers are still excluded from the digital shift. This campaign shines a light on digital empowerment at home.
• Purpose-Driven Messaging: “Help your mom discover and do more with the Internet.”
• Emotion Before Product: Instead of selling a service, it emphasized care, learning, and human connection.

2. Tanishq: #ForYouMom

Year: 2018

The Moment

A daughter gifts her mom earrings to mark her first job promotion. The mom’s response? A tender, all-too-familiar line: “Why waste money on me?”

Why It Worked

• Relatable Emotion: Indian moms rarely ask, but always give.
• Soft Sell with Strong Emotion: Tanishq didn’t lead with product—it led with meaning.
• Brand Integrity: Reinforced Tanishq’s promise of celebrating every woman through thoughtful gestures.

3. Practo – #CallMomNow

Year: 2020

The Message

A montage of childhood bruises, teenage stress, and adult burnout—all leading to one simple message: “Just Call Mom Now.”

Why It Worked

• Universal Emotion: Every viewer could identify with the core message.
• Brand Fit: Practo, a healthcare platform, aligned itself with maternal care and everyday wellness.
• Emotional Simplicity: No frills, no distractions—just a reminder that some calls matter more.

4. BIBA – “Kuch Nahi”

Year: 2024

The Narrative

Starring Shilpa Saklani as the quintessential Indian mom, this campaign captured the essence of “kuch nahi” the classic maternal response to “What do you want?” Her daughter finally flips the script by gifting her a long-overdue gesture of love.

Why It Worked

• Culturally Rooted: “Kuch nahi” is more than a phrase—it’s a shared understanding across Indian households.
• Visual and Emotional Balance: The ad combined relatable family moments with aspirational fashion.
• Strategic Reach: The digital-first approach across YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook ensured both emotion and engagement.

5. Grocery Farm: Bollywood-Style Monologue That Broke the Internet

Year: 2024

The Approach

This campaign ditched the serious tone and leaned into full desi drama. A mom delivers a rant that’s part emotional grocery list, part comic genius ; reminiscent of every Indian household.

Why It Worked

• High Relatability: Every Indian child has heard this rant, and every mom has lived it.
• Viral-Friendly Format: With a monologue perfect for reels and shares, the content travelled far.
• Modern Tone: It struck a chord with Gen Z and millennials through humor, not heaviness.

What Modern Brands Can Learn from These Mother’s Day Campaigns

These campaigns prove one thing: emotion is the cornerstone of marketing that sticks. Whether it's nostalgia, humor, or heartfelt truths, the brands that dared to tap into real, lived experiences created conversations, not just conversions.

• Lead with Heart, Not Hype Campaigns rooted in authentic emotion always rise above the noise.
• Relatability Wins When audiences see themselves or their families in your story, brand recall becomes inevitable.
• Moments Over Messages Create scenes that people want to remember, not just taglines they’ll scroll past.

Whether you're crafting a Mother’s Day campaign or planning your next big seasonal push, take inspiration from these masterclasses in emotional branding. These aren’t just marketing moments, they’re cultural memories.

For more campaign breakdowns, OOH strategy tips, and culturally relevant brand insights, stay tuned to BuzzOmni, your go-to for stories that resonate, campaigns that convert, and creativity that lasts.