From tea to tyres: Advertisers flock for a slice of Maha Kumbh pie
Cakes and cookie maker Britannia Industries Ltd, for instance, has its products at Chai Point, the tea retail brand.
Ajay Mehta, managing director of media agency GroupM OOH Solutions, has already been twice to the Maha Kumbh that began in UP’s Prayagraj on January 13. It’s not just the charm of the country’s largest spiritual “mela” that has drawn him there. He rushed to the city on the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers to oversee the marketing and promotion efforts of the big brands that the agency manages.

Cakes and cookie maker Britannia Industries Ltd, for instance, has its products at Chai Point, the tea retail brand which has set up kiosks at the fete spread across 4,000 hectares. Muthoot Finance is offering free locker services to kumbh visitors to keep their valuables safe, reinforcing the brand tagline “vishwas ki tijori” (locker of trust).
For beverage brand Coca-Cola, GroupM OOH has created a large LED screen which has anamorphic content (technique that creates 3D illusion). “Maha Kumbh is the IPL of the outdoor industry. It is a 45-day event, has a captive audience, is humongous and logistically demanding,” said Mehta.
Advertisers across product categories from tea and toothpaste to automobiles and tyres, from lighting and batteries to banks and financial services, have made a beeline for kumbh. “This year e-commerce brands and online payment services have a significant presence there,” Mehta said. Jayesh Yagnik, CEO of Madison Outdoor Media Solutions, agreed.
“Other than FMCG, service brands, particularly in the fintech, health care, and telecom sectors, emerging tech, wellness, and e-commerce businesses are also joining the competition, leveraging the occasion to establish credibility and reach a wider audience. This change illustrates how Kumbh is starting to matter for both conventional and contemporary businesses,” Yagnik said.
Though he declined to name his client brands present at the festival, he said given the millions of people attending it and the energy around the event, the brand involvement is higher. Not just that. “Even the demand is exceeding supply. More brands are inquiring about the Kumbh, which is on till February 26. However, the late comers keen on activations and advertising at the location may find it challenging,” GroupM’s Mehta said.
But early planning by Dabur India Ltd helped it secure consumer activations for brands such as Dabur Chyawanprash, Dabur Honey, Dabur Red Paste, Amla Hair Oil, Vatika, Hajmola and Honitus. “We are taking forward our highly popular Dabur Red Dant Snan initiative by setting up exclusive Dabur Dant Snan Zones in prominent akharas. These zones will help spread the message of oral hygiene among lakhs of devotees who use the automated toothpaste dispenser,” said Dabur’s chief executive officer Mohit Malhotra.
Its hair care brands Dabur Amla and Vatika have set up branded changing rooms for women at the ghats who take the holy dip. “We have also tied up with dhabas and eateries in the city and on the highways and branded them with our key digestive brands Hajmola and Lavanbhaskar Churna, besides undertaking extensive sampling of these products,” Malhotra said.
Besides sampling, demos, visibility at strategic locations via billboards, kiosks, and transport branding, “digital marketing, such as social media and geo-targeted advertisements, have been incorporated into the mix more lately, enabling firms to reach a wider audience outside of the event. The objective is always to give customers an experience that is both memorable and culturally appropriate,” Madison’s Yagnik added.
Footwear company Relaxo has ventured beyond advertising to set up stalls and pole kiosks within the mela grounds. “We recognise devotees’ profound journey during the Maha Kumbh mela, where millions walk great distances in pursuit of spirituality and connection,” said Sachin Chhabra, head of marketing at Relaxo Footwears Limited. In such an extraordinary setting, Relaxo is offering its collections under brands Bahamas, Flite, and Sparx, at attractive prices, Chhabra added. However, the company continues to brand key community touchpoints in the mela.
Held once in 12 years, the Maha Kumbh offers an unparalleled opportunity for consumer brands to connect with millions of people. “Leveraging this platform, Emami brands such as BoroPlus, Navratna, and Zandu are actively engaging with their target audiences through strategic initiatives,” said an Emami spokesperson. Skincare brand BoroPlus is visible on hoardings and has put up a stall for product sampling. Navratna oil, associated with relief and relaxation, is present on direction boards leading pilgrims to the bathing ghats, hoardings at nearby railway stations, police booth branding and wall wraps at entry points to Prayagraj.
As one of the lighting vendors for Maha Kumbh, Eveready Industries India Limited has installed 13,000 LED lights at the site including both streetlights and floodlights. But the company has also undertaken extensive branding initiatives throughout Prayagraj and the Kumbh Mela grounds via hoardings, pole branding, No Parking boards and residential societies’ in Prayagraj. Mohit Sharma, senior vice president & business unit head -- lighting & electricals at Eveready Industries, said the sites at the Kumbh do not come cheap “so we picked up strategic locations for advertising our lighting solutions which has been the company’s focus area in the last 3-4 years.”
To connect with the younger crowd, ITC Ltd’s chip brand Bingo! has created a Chaat Zone that offers a fusion of UP’s iconic chaat flavors with Bingo!’s signature variants -- Masala Tadka, Chatpata Twist, and the newly launched Xtraa Teekha. Visitors can create customized chaat dishes, served in Bingo! packs, a release from the company said. Additionally, it has built a Content Zone for content creators offering them UP-themed props like gamchhas, funky sunglasses and cheeky dialogues, to create engaging social media content.
Its easy to see why brands continue to make a splash at the Kumbh. The huge number of footfalls remains a big reason for brands wanting to participate in the Kumbh Mela. “But another compelling reason is the fact that as a record-holder for the largest gathering of humanity in one place, the event has acquired iconic global status thus according brands the opportunity to acquire prestige through association,” said Samit Sinha, managing partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting.
Yagnik said the Kumbh continues to be relevant to brands as millions of lives are impacted by the cultural and spiritual phenomena which is not just a simple gathering. “Participating in such a big, emotionally charged event gives firms the opportunity to establish a strong connection with customers. Additionally, it’s a chance to establish credibility and exhibit principles that appeal to Indian viewers, such as custom, genuineness, and community,” Yagnik said.
The Kumbh serves brands in different ways and offers companies the opportunity to get consumers to touch, feel and experience their products.
Dabur’s Malhotra said the major melas typically happen at the end of the harvest season which is a relatively work-free period for the agrarian economy. The farmers and their families usually have more disposable income and the time to spend. “After the darshan and the snaan, shopping and soaking in the location, top the agenda. These melas also offer a unique opportunity to reach out to rural women, influencers who are otherwise hard to connect with,” Malhotra added.
However, over time, the demographics of religious congregations like the Maha Kumbh are changing making it even more relevant to brands. Given the estimated ₹5,000 crore investments pumped into setting up flawless infrastructure at Prayagraj which includes accommodation, transport, sanitation, security, medical facilities, water and power, coupled with the hype and the marketing, the Kumbh is attracting newer audiences. “The kind who can stay in luxury tents. People from south Delhi and south Mumbai are there. It is not just an event of the Hindi heartland anymore,” GroupM’s Mehta said.
Yagnik agreed that more urban middle- and upper-middle-class people are participating now because of improved media coverage, infrastructure, and a revival of interest in cultural identity. “Because of this shift, the Kumbh is now even more desirable to companies trying to connect with both traditional and contemporary customers,” he said.
However, despite the marketing frenzy at the Kumbh by hundreds of brands, it is difficult to pin the advertising expenditure on the event. Some estimates peg it between ₹2,000 crore and ₹3,000 crore.
But Mehta declines to hazard a guess. “Though there are different agencies which are awarding the rights, how do you measure the surround sound? The way to the Kumbh is through the city Prayagraj and a lot of advertising is happening there. There is advertising at bus stops, railways stations, airports and even the highways leading to the venue,” said Mehta.
“It’s very difficult to put a number because it is not a finite inventory with one media owner like the IPL. But I can tell you that the demand from advertisers is still robust. So, whatever the number, it will emerge towards the end of the mela. And even then, it may involve guesstimates,” Mehta said.
