When ads start to preach, audiences start to scroll
Summary
- Purpose-led advertising, once seen as bold and progressive, is increasingly being met with indifference—or worse, mockery. Especially from Gen Z—informed, cynical, and always online—who no longer take brands at face value. They’re not just watching ads, they’re interrogating them.
For over a decade, brands were told to stand for something bigger than the products they sell. Climate change, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, mental health—the nobler the cause, the louder the marketing push. But in 2025, that formula may be wearing thin.
Purpose-led advertising, once seen as bold and progressive, is increasingly being met with indifference—or worse, mockery. Especially from Gen Z— informed, cynical, and always online—who no longer take brands at face value. They’re not just watching ads, they’re interrogating them. And when the message doesn’t match the behaviour, they call it out, screenshot it, and scroll on.
“There’s a sameness that’s crept in," says a senior creative director. “You can almost guess the storyboard—a woman is wronged, the brand steps in, there’s a heart-tugging voiceover, and then a logo fades in with a hashtag."
What once felt bold now feels lazy. Familiar. Skippable.
Read more: FMCG's Q4 woes: Why India's consumer goods giants are expecting a dull quarter
Rohit Malkani, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi India, calls it what it is—creative fatigue. “It’s been around far too long to be called a trend. At a recent international awards jury, we were actually briefed to bring the focus back to product and business."
But the problem isn’t just repetition. It’s a widening gap between what brands say and what they actually do. “I’ve seen campaigns get shelved for budget reasons and then rehashed for another category—regardless of fit," Malkani says. “Ask yourself: if I had done this for any other brand, would it still work? If yes, then it wasn’t grounded in brand DNA."
That lack of alignment is what today’s consumers pick up on instantly. “The audience is tuned in. The sharp ones dig deeper, look beyond the ad, and leave breadcrumbs in the comments," says Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and co-founder of digital ad agency TheSmallBigIdea. “They’re not just listening—they’re watching. And they’re your loudest watchdogs."
Purpose ≠ Marketing strategy for all
For Pillai, the challenge isn’t whether purpose works, but when and how it’s delivered. In a world ruled by short-form content, brands need to earn the right to say something meaningful. “Early on, the goal isn’t to communicate purpose—it’s about discovery," he explains. “Lighter content isn’t a compromise; it’s a strategic entry point."
This raises a critical point: not all brands are built to lead social conversations. And not all should, either.
“Purpose is not about storytelling—it’s story-doing," says a CMO at an FMCG firm. “It has to be tangible. And it has to align with your brand’s stature and relevance in the consumer’s life."
He adds that brands often confuse corporate ESG (environmental, social and governance) positioning with consumer-facing messaging. “There’s a big difference between what a company tells investors and what a brand tells customers. Just because you have a corporate purpose doesn’t mean every ad needs to carry a cause."
Read more: Social media ad targeting could face a public rebellion any moment now
Some of this disconnect comes down to scale and category. “Google can talk about digital equity. But a small-town detergent brand may not have the credibility—and that’s okay. You have to ask: am I a high-involvement brand? Do people even want to have this conversation with me?"
Instead of trying to “matter" all the time, many brands are returning to fundamentals—product truth, cultural resonance, and humour. Not as fallback, but as the more honest route.
“Humour never really went away," says Malkani. “Product-first advertising has always rung cash registers. It’s about execution — the insight you tap into, the culture you draw from."
Fevicol thrives on this approach. Netflix India leans into wit and memes over messaging. D2C brands like BlissClub and Bombay Shaving Company build voice around behind-the-scenes reels, low-fi content and irreverence.
Pillai puts it bluntly: “Go full Himesh Reshammiya—alliteration, rhyme, rhythm. Make your brand the hook. Keep it short, wild, unforgettable."
Still, when done right, purpose-driven work delivers impact—and longevity.
Malkani highlights Michelob Ultra’s “Contract for Change"—which backed organic farming with legal contracts. “It’s easy to talk about inclusive prosperity," he says. “Walking the talk with legal backing? That’s brave."
Closer home, he credits Whisper’s “Missing Chapter"—a menstrual education campaign built over two years. “A stellar, sensitive piece. Seamlessly tied to the brand."
Read more: Creative agencies must kill the nostalgia: FCB’s Dheeraj Sinha
Even Colgate’s Smile Out Loud—promoting oral health via stories of confidence—struck the right tone. Britannia’s child nutrition campaign, too, stayed light and hopeful without sounding preachy.
What ties these together isn’t the cause—it’s the credibility. They weren’t chasing moments. They were grounded in purpose, delivered with restraint, and backed by action.
And that’s what audiences respect now. The performative stuff? It gets skipped in seconds.
Because in 2025, where attention is earned in milliseconds, the most radical thing a brand can do is to just tell the truth. Sell the product. Don’t overreach. Don’t pretend. When ads start to preach, audiences start to scroll.
