What brands need to know before creating content around Independence Day

New Delhi: India's Independence Day on August 15 is a time of national pride, a reminder of the country’s struggle for freedom, and a celebration of its diverse culture. A vast amount of communication and content material is created for the day. 

To more deeply understand the positioning of Independence Day via the communication, we need to look beneath the surface expressions.  

The very concept of Independence Day has been defined around three axes. The first axis is the country, the nation and the emotional attachment that the citizens have towards their country. Patriotism is a sentiment that all countries wrap around their flag and seek to evoke and reinforce in their citizens through various rhetorical devices and audio-visual expressions, from the flag to the anthem.  

The second axis is the admirable citizen who works for the betterment of his/her country and sets an example for others to follow.  In this axis, the focus is on people working in mission mode for a purpose and cause larger than themselves or their immediate family. People who adopt a large vision and dedicate their lives to that vision are celebrated.  

The third axis is that of freedom and the celebration of freedom as a cherished value in a democracy and even in human life.  The concept of freedom is vast and enables the creative team to explore the promise of “freedom from…” and turn it into a pledge, a philosophical question and a movement.  

In the first two axes, the nation is paramount, and the individual is secondary.  In the third axis, the individual is paramount and the nation is a vehicle or channel for the individual to fulfill his/her human potential, free of the bondages that society imposes.

Multiple themes have been explored within these axes in this year’s communication. These are detailed below:

Axis 1: The axis of patriotism:

The Government of India attempts to "own" the sense of patriotism through massive investments in communication across a wide range of media. This year, the idea of “Viksit Bharat” has been the highlight, with the government aiming to make India a developed nation by the year 2047. Closely linked are themes of “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, which emphasize regional and local pride. As a continuation of the 75th Independence Day, the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign was launched this year as well, encouraging a more overt expression of patriotism, and a more personal expression of national pride, through the selfies that the campaign encourages. 

Over the years, brands have seized Independence Day to connect with consumers by crafting advertisements that evoke patriotism, reflect the spirit of unity, and align with their brand identity. In the e-commerce and consumer electronics space, brands often go for direct and overt branding with “freedom sales” and “Independence Day offers.” In the domain of branded content, campaigns often use national symbols like the tricolour flag, key historical moments or feature patriotic songs like “Maa Tujhe Salaam” and “Vande Mataram,” to reinforce patriotic pride in creative and subtle ways. For this year, we have looked across brands and identified key themes that they employ to connect with their consumers. 

1. Unity in Diversity 

One of the oldest themes for India’s patriotism is unity in diversity. Several campaigns highlight India’s pluralistic society by showcasing people from different regions, languages, and religions, all united under the common cause of national pride. 

The brand Prayag showcases the celebration among neighbours who are from different regions and religions, and positions this diversity as a counternarrative to the divisive forces that threaten to destroy the unity of the country. 

2. Harnessing roots and history for patriotism 

There has been a wave of returning to one’s roots in the country. This could be linked to certain forms of nationalism or simply to also being vocal for local. Axis Bank employs one such manifestation by speaking about Sanskrit. They cleverly turn the lack of awareness about Sanskrit into a weapon that can be used to create strong passwords.

Other brands like ITC link Independence Day to tradition in the form of Hindustani classical music, which they also promote as a CSR initiative. 

Tata Tea Premium makes use of milestones in post-Independence national history (such as the Green Revolution, the introduction of colour TV, the inauguration of the Worli Sea Link etc), which are seen as uniting elements in the national imaginary. 

3. Using evergreen symbols of patriotism 

Several symbols such as the defence forces are intrinsically linked to patriotism, being intimately linked to concepts and emotions like being a part of something greater than oneself, through selfless duty. Brands such as Asian Paints use this to build relevance for their topical comms for Independence Day. 

Axis 2:  The admirable citizen

Sportspersons who dedicate themselves to their sport and represent the country on international platforms also get linked closely to patriotism. JSW Paints points to them in their Independence Day communications. 

Changemakers who work for the betterment of the nation, too, remain evergreen in patriotic campaigns, as they put their personal gains aside for greater good. Ambuja Cement showcases several such people in their campaign.

Air India’s campaign pushes the perspective that every Indian can battle naysayers, and so the country’s future will be bright, no matter what anyone says. The narrative revolves around achievements in various fields like sports and business, where the individual is depicted as contributing to the nation’s standing. 

The Health Factory emphasises the responsibility of every Indian citizen to make India a better country, through social initiatives as well as taking care of one’s health.

India’s demographics put it among the youngest countries in the world. Using social media as a tool for change positions the Dabur Manjan (which is thought to be a product for the older demographic) as a product for the youth who raise their voices for what they believe is right.  

Axis 3:  Freedom as empowerment of the individual

The perspective that these campaigns employ is that of championing individual stories of growth in the face of adversity, challenges and sometimes even societal judgment. Advertisers connect the country's freedom to issues like gender equality, poverty, education, or environmental conservation. These themes reflect the evolving nature of what independence means in contemporary India—beyond just political freedom, to social empowerment.

Rentomojo has a series of short campaigns that encourage viewers to be themselves unapologetically, through narratives of a single mother, a transgender woman and a man pursuing an off-beat career. 

This campaign by Angel One titled “Azaadi Ka Raasta” (trans. The road to independence) dedicates itself to everyone who is investing and taking steps to achieve financial freedom. 

In these campaigns, the individual overpowers the concept of the nation, which is simply a background element that creates a supportive environment for individuals to flourish. 

Brands have to consider what it means to be Indian today. Even if the diversity of the country and its people remains the foundation of "India," being Indian also means making significant contributions to a variety of global arenas, including sports and science. Being Indian is more than just peace and relationships; it's also about achievement and self-expression. The canvas for Indianness today is much larger than it was in 1945 when we got our independence from the British.