Samsung Galaxy’s Diwali film celebrates chosen family

Samsung India has launched its Diwali campaign for Galaxy smartphones, created by Cheil India. Instead of the familiar joint-family celebration, the film starts in a children’s home, where six young people find their own sense of belonging.

01 · A different festive frame

The film uses Galaxy smartphones as the thread that connects this chosen family. The characters use the devices to stay in touch, say what they appreciate, and share moments that matter. In a festive season crowded with traditional family rituals, the chosen-family angle gives Samsung a distinct emotional space.

“This festive brand film celebrates the people we call family and the moments that bring us closer to them,” said Aditya Babbar, vice president of MX Business at Samsung India. “With Galaxy devices, we enable people to connect, share and express what matters most.”

Vikash Chemjong, chief creative officer at Cheil India, added, “Family isn’t the same for all of us. With this film, we focused on giving the best to the ones who matter the most, and welcoming them into our Galaxy family.”

02 · Why it matters for brand leaders

Festive advertising in India has long leaned on the joint family, the return home, and traditional rituals. Those stories still work, but they don’t cover the whole audience. A campaign that widens the definition of family can build relevance with younger consumers while still holding the emotional core of Diwali.

For CMOs, this is a reminder that festive relevance comes from the relationship, not the ritual. Young urban audiences increasingly celebrate with flatmates, friends, colleagues and communities they have chosen. Samsung’s film reflects that reality, and in doing so makes the Galaxy brand feel more inclusive and more useful.

There is also a practical brand benefit. When the product is shown enabling real communication—messages, photos, video calls—it becomes part of the ritual rather than an external sponsor of it. That is a stronger role for a smartphone brand during the festive purchase window.

03 · What marketers can borrow

• Lead with the emotional truth: start from the relationship your audience actually navigates during the festival.
• Let the product enable, not dominate: keep the device in service of connection, not a spec reel.
• Make inclusivity structural: the place, casting and story all carry the strategy, not a token shot.
• Align brand and agency language: both quoted leaders use “family” consistently, keeping the idea coherent.

In a season where every brand is selling togetherness, Samsung is selling a more elastic definition of it. The take: cast your product as the enabler of belonging, and the brand earns the emotion instead of borrowing it.

Source: ETBrandEquity.com

Mad About Marketing Desk The strategists and writers at Mad About Marketing, writing up what we see in the work every week.