When your ex gets married, Fastrack has you covered

Do you remember a year ago when Hollywood actor Amy Schumer erased her exes in Google Pixel’s Super Bowl ad? Well, closer to home, Lowe Lintas and Fastrack have brought the #MereExKiShaadi campaign, giving a humorous twist to the universal experience of dealing with an ex’s wedding.

Indian sunglasses brand Fastrack is positioning itself as a wedding-season essential. The campaign taps into the heightened emotions of the season—not for the newlyweds, but for their exes. It cleverly extends the brand’s #NecessaryNotAccessory stance, repositioning sunglasses from a mere style statement to a necessity at weddings.

Fastrack has long been known for its bold, provocative campaigns. From breaking cultural taboos to challenging gender norms, the brand has always had an edge. But is Indian advertising becoming more cautious? Or is humour now the new rebellion?

For a brand that has previously tackled sensitive topics head-on, the shift from provocative storytelling to playful humour marks an evolution in approach. The answer might lie in the current advertising climate, where consumers are hyper-aware, and backlash is only a tweet away. Fastrack’s latest campaign plays it safe without being boring, showing that wit can be a powerful creative tool.

Betting on concept over celebrity

Many brands lean on star power to make their campaigns land. Fastrack, however, chose to let the idea do the heavy lifting. The brand didn’t rely on an A-list ambassador but instead crafted a quirky, relatable insight that resonates across generations.

Maneesh Krishnamurthy, head of marketing (Eyewear Division, Titan Company), explained, “While we have done a lot of work with celebs (like the Ayushmann Khurrana Live OOH for Titan Eye+), star power in itself is not enough. For us, an original, insightful idea is an important starting point. Star power can be the icing on the cake. Once we have an idea that excites us, we evaluate if star power can add to that. In this case, we didn't think it added to the concept and hence went with fresh faces.”

Arpan Bhattacharyya, executive director—head of creative, copy (South), Lowe Lintas.

Weddings are one of India’s biggest consumption drivers, from jewellery to apparel to travel. But sunglasses? That’s an unconventional choice. Yet, Lowe Lintas found a smart way to make them relevant to the wedding season.

“Fashion and weddings have always gone hand in hand. In fact, it’s one of India’s biggest fashion purchase occasions. The challenge was to fit sunglasses seamlessly into a wedding context,” said Arpan Bhattacharyya, executive director—head of creative, copy (South), Lowe Lintas.

He added that having already positioned the product as necessary rather than just a fashion accessory, the agency thought that it would look at the people who might ‘need’ reasons beyond fashion to wear sunglasses at weddings.

The result? A campaign that reframes sunglasses as emotional armour for awkward wedding encounters.

Walking the tightrope: Humour without controversy

In a time when brands are constantly navigating social sensitivities, humour can be a risky play. Making people laugh is tough, but making them laugh without offending anyone is even tougher. So, how did Fastrack strike that balance?

“The trickiest part was to ensure we weren’t making fun of people in a way that might come across as mean-spirited,” said Bhattacharyya. “We wanted to have a laugh and for people to laugh with us—the intent was never to laugh at anyone in particular.”

Krishnamurthy echoed this sentiment, adding, “It is truly humorous when you can lift the mood of the viewer without putting anyone down. As long as you can do that, there's no need to be cautious. Stoking controversy for the sake of attention is a zero-sum game, and I am glad we continue to entertain and not alienate.”

A campaign inspired by meme culture?

With its internet-friendly tonality, #MereExKiShaadi feels like a meme in motion. But was that intentional?

“In advertising, consciously and otherwise, you end up borrowing from pretty much everything around you,” admitted Bhattacharyya. “Weddings in India have become bigger, and wedding-related content of all sorts is now all over the internet.”

Maneesh Krishnamurthy, head of marketing (Eyewear Division, Titan Company).

While working on the idea, the Lowe Lintas team found countless memes, stories, posts, and even fashion tutorials about people going to their ex’s weddings. Hence, its idea seamlessly fit into that world, and it crafted it keeping in mind the tone of voice that’s prevalent on the internet today.

Humour: The new rebellion in Indian advertising?

Fastrack has never shied away from boldness. But is humour now taking over as the preferred tool for disruption?

“Humour in Indian advertising isn’t something new. Some of the funniest Indian ads were made years ago. So, I don’t think humour is new or a rebellion,” said Bhattacharyya.

However, he admitted that these days people do tend to get offended more easily, and that might be making some advertisers a little more cautious than they may have been. “Thankfully, though, you can be both bold and funny without being offensive. Campaigns like #MereExKiShaadi prove that,” he stated.

Krishnamurthy agreed, pointing out that Fastrack has never been about provocation for the sake of it. “More than just provocative, Fastrack has represented a way for the 18-year-old to be effortlessly cool. We continue to occupy that space. Our ideas continue to provoke. For example, it's rare to find a fashion accessory brand taking a position that it’s not an accessory. However, I do agree our tone has evolved, as it must, keeping in mind sensibilities of today's consumer.”

With #MereExKiShaadi, Fastrack has successfully turned an awkward social scenario into a light-hearted, shareable moment. The campaign cleverly repositions sunglasses as an emotional necessity, not just a style statement, while delivering a humorous take on an experience many can relate to.

In a market where advertising is either playing it too safe or trying too hard to be controversial, Fastrack finds a sweet spot. It manages to be fresh, funny, and relevant without stepping on any toes—a feat not many brands pull off in today’s hypersensitive climate.

By leaning into meme culture, storytelling, and an inherently relatable insight, the campaign ensures it resonates with its core audience. Whether or not it translates into increased sales remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Fastrack has once again proven that being cool isn’t about being loud—it’s about being smart.

Credits:

• Team Fastrack: Maneesh Krishnamurthy, Aarzoo Garg
• Agency: Lowe Lintas
• Creative: Arpan Bhattacharyya, Sahul Patri, Sameer Gupta
• Account Management: Shreyas Upadhya, Arunima Sardar, Juveria Nain
• Planning: Adhith S
• Production house: This is That
• Director: Shihab Karim