Zomato’s ‘Mission Diwali’ shows India shining brightly when food and fun come together

This Diwali, food ordering and delivery platform Zomato celebrates the true spirit of the festival with its new campaign, ‘Mission Diwali’. It looks behind the iconic ‘India on Diwali’ NASA photo, revealing the real-life stories that make it so special. 

The campaign was conceptualised and supervised by Zomato's in-house creative team and produced by Ryde.

It is built on the insight that Diwali's true glow comes not just from the lights adorning our homes, but from the warmth of human connection. The campaign is a celebration of togetherness and the simple joys that define the festival, recognising that in India, food is the invisible thread that binds us together, ultimately lighting up everyone’s lives.

The quirky film begins with a humourous exchange between a space-bound NASA astronaut and his boss, as the astronaut searches for Earth's Diwali lights. An elderly man and his grandchildren escalate their efforts to brighten their home, each attempt met with a disappointed ‘negative, sir’ from above. The arrival of a Zomato delivery partner, bearing a box of mithai, changes everything.

As the granddaughter offers the sweets to her grandfather, the kaju katli's (sweetmeat) gleaming silver foil catches the astronaut's eye, prompting an enthusiastic ‘Positive, sir!’ The heartwarming video celebrates the power of small gestures, like sharing sweets, to brighten Diwali, culminating in the grandfather's playful suggestion to caption the radiant picture—‘Mithai Zomato karo, desh ko roshan karo’ (Order sweet from Zomato, brighen up the country), as the gleaming mithai unexpectedly creates this year's ‘Diwali NASA picture.’

To pay homage to the festival of lights, the campaign will be amplified through a robust 360-degree marketing campaign, across OTT, digital, print, outdoor, ambient media, BTL and social media.

Campaign’s take: Zomato's Mission Diwali puts a witty spin on the iconic NASA photo of India lit up during the festival of lights. Every year, the space agency shares a photo of how the festival illuminates the entire country in a way that can be seen from space.

The campaign cleverly flips the script, showing that Diwali’s true glow isn’t just from decorations, but from the joy of togetherness—and of course, food. The humour-laden ad features a NASA astronaut struggling to spot Diwali lights from space, only to have his radar light up when a family shares mithai, courtesy of Zomato.

The clever use of humour, warmth, and the symbolic kaju katli highlights how festive food is the unseen bond that connects us all during Diwali. With a heartwarming, relatable storyline, Zomato captures the festival’s essence—small gestures and shared moments that truly light up our lives. The campaign’s 360-degree push, from digital to outdoor, ensures the message of togetherness and festive feasts reaches far and wide.