Falguni Pathak, Invisible Garba Queen, Headlines Swiggy Instamart’s Navratri Buzz

This Navratri, Swiggy Instamart brought the festive spirit to life with an engaging campaign featuring the iconic Falguni Pathak. Known as the queen of Garba nights, Pathak’s association with the festival made her the perfect choice to promote Swiggy Instamart’s exclusive Navratri collection. With a creative twist, the campaign cleverly played on the long-standing joke that “Falguni Pathak only appears during Navratri.”

Pathak’s role as the campaign’s face introduced a mix of nostalgia, humour, and convenience. In the campaign’s central piece, a short film launched on social media, Pathak is portrayed as “invisible,” interacting with people in everyday settings, like her home, a gym, or an elevator. While her distinct voice can be heard exchanging pleasantries, no one can see her—a playful nod to her elusive presence outside of Navratri.

The campaign didn't stop at just being humorous. It tied this theme to Swiggy Instamart’s promise of convenience: delivering everything from dandiya sticks and mithais to other festive essentials within 10 minutes. By doing so, it positioned the platform as a go-to festive store, ready to make celebrations stress-free and fun.

Tapping into the Navratri Energy

Swiggy Instamart targeted Navratri’s vibrant energy, combining Pathak’s cultural status with a modern twist. To further engage audiences, Pathak introduced a special hook step in a Garba tutorial, encouraging users to participate and share their videos. The campaign saw massive success on Instagram, garnering 1 million views within 4 hours of its release and trending with 6 million views in just a few days.

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Additionally, short ads on YouTube and Meta platforms directed users straight to the exclusive Navratri collection, boosting app engagement. The results were impressive: organic user traffic grew by 3.5%, and campaign videos achieved 91% view-through rates on YouTube, well above expectations.

Overcoming Challenges

Despite its success, the campaign faced challenges. Falguni Pathak was unavailable in India until Navratri began, creating logistical constraints. However, the creative team crafted the script to work around her absence. With her help, Pathak self-shot key scenes with a small crew, ensuring the campaign launched on time.

A Winning Formula

Swiggy Instamart’s VP of Marketing, Mayur Hola, highlighted the campaign’s success, stating: “We wanted to bring back the nostalgia of 90s dandiya nights while making celebrations easier with Swiggy Instamart. Partnering with Falguni Pathak added the perfect touch of tradition and fun.”

With this campaign, Swiggy Instamart reaffirmed its position as a quick commerce leader, seamlessly blending cultural connections with convenience, making Navratri more vibrant and hassle-free.