The Maha Kumbh Mela, set to commence on January 13, 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is poised to be the largest human gathering in history, attracting over 400 million devotees and visitors.
This monumental visit presents brands with a unique opportunity to engage with a diverse audience through innovative and culturally resonant marketing campaigns.
So, let’s walk down the memory lane, revisiting some iconic and out-of-the-box brand activations at previous Kumbhs.
1. Lifebuoy’s ‘Roti Reminder’
In February 2013, HUL’s Lifebuoy launched a guerrilla marketing campaign to encourage handwashing before meals. With creative support from Ogilvy, Lifebuoy partnered with over 100 dhabas and hotels to print the message “Did you wash your hands with Lifebuoy?” (in Hindi) directly onto fresh rotis using a specially designed heat stamp.
Distributed by 100 promoters across 100 kitchens, this “Roti Reminder” reached 2.5 million people over the 30-day mela. The aim was to reinforce the critical importance of using soap to prevent germ transmission, particularly given that hands are the primary means of consuming food in India.
The initiative struck a chord with the Cannes jury, ultimately earning HUL a bronze award in the PR category.
Read more: Maha Kumbh 2025: Brands targeted at Bharat want a piece of Maha Kumbh
2. Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser launched cleanliness-awareness campaigns focused on hand hygiene and sanitation at the Kumbh Mela, encouraging pilgrims to prioritize cleanliness. Dettol’s “Haath Dhona Har Baar” campaign promoted regular handwashing with memorable slogans and highlighted the importance of staying germ-free.
Harpic’s “Hoga Toilet Vidhi Ka Gyaan, Toh Badhega Kumbh ka Maan” urged visitors to show respect for others by cleaning toilets after use.
To reinforce these messages, both brands organized Nukkad Nataks on-site, displayed large-scale wall paintings across 54 nearby villages, and deployed Dettol “Hand Mascots” who recited stories, educated attendees about proper hygiene, and distributed soap to encourage healthier habits.
3. Wheel’s Wash-o-Cycle
In 2019, Wheel, an Indian detergent brand, introduced the “Wheel Wash-o-Cycle”—a water-filled drum attached to a stationary bicycle that, when pedalled for 10–12 minutes, washed clothes efficiently and without electricity. Two Wheel Washing Centres, each equipped with more than twenty Wash-o-Cycles, supplied clean water, detergent, and proper drainage, enabling pilgrims to maintain fresh clothes and a clean environment.
Wheel also trained devotees to build their own Wash-o-Cycles at home or in their villages, extending the concept’s benefits beyond the Kumbh Mela itself.
4. LG
To enhance facilities for pilgrims at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, LG India installed water purifiers at 15 lost and found camps, ensuring access to clean drinking water, and placed washing machines at select locations to allow visitors to wash their clothes free of charge.
Additionally, LG Electronics distributed “Suraksha Dhaga” bands at the lost and found center, each bearing the mela helpline number and guardian contact details, so that pilgrims could quickly reunite with their loved ones in case they got separated in the crowd.
5. Hamam Soap
Hamam, the soap brand, committed to ensuring women’s safety during their visit to the Kumbh Mela where devotees bathed in the holy waters.
Despite government bans, women were often filmed and photographed after bathing, which raised privacy concerns. To address this issue, Hamam joined hands with Ogilvy and introduced a thoughtful initiative by creating a special saree designed for the occasion and offering dedicated spaces for women to change, allowing them to complete their pilgrimage safely and with dignity.
This initiative highlighted Hamam’s dedication to promoting women’s well-being and security in public spaces.
6. Eveready
Eveready Industries played a significant role in ensuring the safety and smooth operation of the Kumbh Mela in 2019 by providing over 15,000 professional-grade LED streetlights, which helped keep the vast area well-lit and secure for the thousands of devotees.
In addition to the lighting, Eveready supported the administration with essential infrastructure, like direction boards that guided visitors towards the Sangam, changing rooms for ladies, police watchtowers, and tall standing media towers.
Eveready’s contributions were key in maintaining public safety and facilitating the smooth conduct of the Mela.
7. ICICI Lombard
ICICI Lombard launched an innovative wellness initiative, #BajaoTaaliSehatWali, aimed at helping women devotees during the Kumbh Mela. Targeting women participating in the ritual of bhajan-kirtan, the initiative introduced ‘Clapping Gloves’—a unique product designed to enhance health through ‘clapping therapy.’
The gloves, equipped with protrusions on the inside, activated acupressure points with each clap, improved blood circulation, digestion, eyesight, and overall organ function when used for 20 minutes.
Additionally, the gloves served as protection against the cold weather at Kumbh—a dual benefit for the pilgrims.
8. Dabur Red Paste
Dabur Red Paste, a flagship oral care brand from Dabur, took a significant step towards promoting oral hygiene at the Kumbh Mela 2019 through its innovative “Dabur Red DantSnan” activity.
As part of this initiative, Dabur set up dental stations across all Akharas at the Mela grounds, equipped with Dabur Red Paste dispensers. The unique dispensers, designed similarly to liquid soap dispensers found in hotels, automatically dispensed the right amount of Dabur Red Paste onto the toothbrush.
This initiative not only provided convenient access to oral care but also spread the crucial message of oral hygiene, with the slogan “Kumbh me Snan se pehle, Dabur Red Dant Snan” that resonated among the pilgrims.
9. Brooke Bond Red Label
Brooke Bond Red Label (BBRL) introduced a pioneering initiative at the Kumbh Mela with the installation of innovative tea vending machines that also served as waste disposal units.
These machines featured built-in sensors that activated whenever a pilgrim disposed of waste and rewarded them with a cup of hot tea from the machine.
This initiative not only promoted cleanliness at the event by encouraging proper waste disposal but also provided pilgrims with a warm and comforting beverage, that helped them combat the cold.
It was a creative blend of sustainability and hospitality, offering both practical and enjoyable benefits.
10. HUL Swachhata ki Sawari
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) launched the initiative “Swachhata Ki Sawari” as part of its broader “Start a Little Good” campaign to combat the pollution caused by plastic waste, particularly from flower garlands and other materials that often end up in rivers.
The initiative involved attaching nets to the sides of 100 boats used to transport passengers to and from the Sangam. These nets, which were closed at one end, captured floating garbage during the boat’s journey. Once the boat reached the shore and passengers disembarked, a team of cleaners collected the trash from the nets, replacing them with clean ones.
The collected waste was then transported to designated disposal areas on the ghats. This innovative approach helped reduce river pollution and promoted a message of a cleaner environment.
These campaigns exemplify how brands can creatively engage with the vast audience at the Kumbh Mela, blending marketing objectives with meaningful contributions to the pilgrims’ experience.