India’s repackaging habit meets its match this Diwali

Home Centre, a destination for homemakers to create their dream homes, has launched its Diwali campaign ‘Speaking Gifts’. Capturing the essence of the campaign, its tagline ‘Iss Diwali, gift karo formality nahi’ (This Diwali, gift without formality) celebrates the art of thoughtful gifting.  This campaign inspires a shift from conventional Diwali gifting as a formality to heartfelt choices that reflect the spirit of giving, celebrating the relationship and reminding us that every gift can be a genuine expression of care.  

The campaign was devised by Saatchi and Saatchi, with Offroad Films executing it, under Fahad Pathan’s direction, underscores that true gifting goes beyond obligation, embodying thoughtfulness, care, and genuine emotion. Home Centre brings this message alive through three evocative campaign films that celebrate relatable festive moments and reveal how thoughtful gifts can make a lasting impact.

From a surprise from grandparents that cheers up a teenager, to a friend who expresses how she cherishes her friendship with their hosts through her gift and finally, a moment of truth between two twin sisters who discover gift become formality when given without a thought or consideration for the recipient, all three films express that gifts become gestures that last, not just items exchanged. 

Speaking on the campaign, Shikha S Mazumdar, head of marketing and visual merchandising at Home Centre India, said, “Diwali is the season that defines the very essence of Home Centre—celebratory, thoughtful and infused with genuine warmth and emotions which is what inspires our Diwali ranges. We believe true gifting is about meaning, not obligation. Every piece in our Diwali collection is designed to reflect the warmth of relationships and the joy of thoughtful giving. With our latest Diwali campaign, we are inviting people to gift thoughtfully and visit our stores to discover gifts bonds they cherish”.  

The campaign showcases Home Centre’s festive range across homeware, hosting essentials, décor, and gifting ideas, from elegant serve ware for Diwali dinners to stylish accents for creating welcoming corners at home. It is being rolled out across digital, OOH, BTL, PR, Radio and the brand will partner with leading content creators across the country to create engaging content around the art of gifting.  

Campaign’s take: Let’s be honest: few things travel more during Diwali than gifts.

That box of dry fruits you received? Odds are it’s already wrapped in new paper and headed to your neighbour’s living room.

Home Centre’s latest campaign, Speaking Gifts, taps into this uniquely Indian habit of repurposing presents, not with mockery but with a gentle nudge—what if we stopped gifting out of obligation and started gifting with intent?

The three ad films capture moments every household will recognise: grandparents surprising a teen with something meaningful, a friend turning dinner into an occasion of gratitude, and twin sisters confronting the emptiness of thoughtless exchanges. These vignettes highlight the absurdity of ‘formal’ gifting, but also the potential joy of choosing better.

From a creative standpoint, the campaign works because it doesn’t lecture. Instead, it holds up a mirror to a cultural quirk, then slips in a brand-relevant solution—homeware and décor that feel personal, not perfunctory.

By rooting its festive message in everyday realities, Home Centre positions itself as more than a retailer; it’s pitching itself as a partner in rewriting gifting codes. After all, no one remembers who passed along the cashew tin—but they’ll remember the gift that spoke.