Invisible Falguni Pathak, UGC hook step & more: How Swiggy Instamart delivered Navratri essentials

To bring the festive energy of Navratri to consumers in a unique and resonant way, Swiggy Instamart collaborated with Falguni Pathak for a memorable campaign that blended nostalgia with convenience. Known for her association with the essence of Navratri celebrations, Pathak’s presence reconnected audiences to the traditional vibe of the festival while showcasing the platforms' ability to fulfil every festive need instantly. Through engaging content, including a Garba tutorial by Pathak, the campaign merged the festival’s spirit with Swiggy Instamart’s promise of timely and diverse delivery options, aligning itself as an integral part of Navratri preparations.

Category Introduction

India's quick commerce (QC) market, currently valued at USD 3.34 billion in 2024, has projections to reach USD 9.95 billion by 2029 as it gains traction with an expected 60.6 million users. Driven by the rising demand from Gen Z and millennials in cities like Bangalore, Delhi NCR, and Mumbai, quick commerce platforms are becoming the go-to for planned purchases. The platform has leveraged this trend by evolving from a grocery provider to a one-stop shop for essentials, ranging from toys, medicines and electronic appliances to beauty, kitchenettes, festive assortments and handpicked goods. The platform’s extensive reach, now spanning 43 cities, includes 24/7 service in Delhi NCR and over 20 categories delivered in under 15 minutes. 

Brand Introduction 

Launched in August 2020, Swiggy Instamart is present in over 43 cities, It uses Swiggy’s technology and dedicated delivery fleet to bring groceries and other essentials of over 12,000+ products in categories such as hygiene and wellness, home and kitchen, toys and electronics, beauty and grooming and more to the doorsteps of Indians in 10 minutes.

On social media, being a brand that delivers almost anything you need, in 10 minutes, it aims to drive relevance and brand salience by creating relatable content using daily slices of life moments in a tone and format that is social first. 

Summary

The Falguni Pathak sirf Navratri mein dikhti hai’, campaign plays on the longstanding joke that Pathak is seen only during Navratri. She practically vanishes outside of those 9 days. The brand used this insight to create a social first film and many other shorties to promote the wide range of assortment from dandiya sticks to mithais available on Swiggy Instamart and delivered in 10 minutes.

Objective 

Increase brand visibility during Navratri and drive traffic to Swiggy Instamart on the Swiggy app by promoting the exclusive Navratri collection.

Brief

The platform launched a targeted spike campaign during Navratri to generate buzz around the exclusive Navratri collection available on the platform. Positions the brand as the go-to local festive store, offering everything you need for the celebration, delivered in just 10 minutes.

Creative Idea 

The curious case of Falguni Pathak

Playing on the longstanding joke that Pathak is only seen during Navratri, the platform brought her to the Swiggy app first, making her the face of their exclusive Navratri collection. To further engage audiences, the campaign featured a hook step from Falguni herself, encouraging users to participate and share.

This concept was brought to life through a film launched on social media, where the Falguni Pathak joke is often shared and circulated year after year. In the film, Pathak is portrayed as 'invisible,' interacting with people in various everyday settings, at her home, in the elevator, at the gym, and more. Her voice is heard exchanging pleasantries with those around her, but no one can actually see her, playing into the humour of her elusive presence outside of Navratri.

By tapping into this cultural joke and Pathak’s iconic status, the platform created a playful and engaging campaign that resonated with audiences, driving both brand visibility and excitement around the Navratri collection.

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Challenges

The biggest challenge faced was that Falguni Pathak was not in the country until the day of Navratri. To overcome this, the creative team cleverly crafted the script in a way that did not require Pathak to be physically present on set for the main shoot. This allowed the production to move forward without her.

The final piece to camera, along with the images used on the app, were later self-shot by Pathak with the help of a small crew arranged by the team. This workaround ensured that the campaign was delivered on time, despite the logistical constraints.

Execution 

Social Media - Launched the film on Instagram gaining 1 million views within 4 hours and trending at 6 million views in just a few days.

Ad platforms - We further pushed short ad films on Meta and YouTube and landed users directly on the Navratri collection on the app.

Results 

IM Traffic: Avg. 2 Weeks (30th Sep - 13th Oct) vs. previous 2 weeks 

• OPD grew by 3.3% during the campaign period, with a high uptick in Organic NU OPD by 3.5%

Brand Digital:  

• Statics Delivered 5.4mn impressions; 1.49% CTR which is above industry average.

• Video Delivered 119 Mn impressions; 0.85% CTR and 91% VTR on YT Non-skip vs planned VTR of 80%

"Quick commerce platforms today are uniquely positioned to make local festivals even more vibrant by delivering essentials that capture the cultural spirit of these celebrations. For Navratri, at Swiggy Instamart, we wanted to offer our consumers something truly nostalgic—a throwback to the thrill of 90s dandiya nights. Partnering with Falguni Pathak, an icon synonymous with that era, brought back a familiar energy that resonates deeply with our audience. Our users have shown a real fondness for campaigns that weave cultural connection with playful experiences—whether it’s our Ganesh Chaturthi Insta-Modak activation at Carter Road or getting people to hum 'Sona Kitna Sona Hai' with Karisma Kapoor this Dhanteras. This Navratri campaign is a fun extension of that, helping people celebrate with both the ease of Swiggy Instamart and the joy of tradition".- Mayur Hola, VP, Marketing, Swiggy