Swiggy Instamart marks Dhanteras with Karisma Kapoor and 'Sona'

Swiggy Instamart has roped in 90’s sensation Karisma Kapoor and her iconic track from the 1997 film Hero.No1 ‘Sona Kitna Sona’ to celebrate Dhanteras. The campaign highlights Swiggy Instamart’s Dhanteras festive offering, allowing customers to have gold delivered to their doorstep in ten minutes.

In the ad, Kapoor dances on a film set to the iconic track, while the music director changes the lyrics every few seconds, justifying it by saying ‘Sona to chale gaya’ because of Swiggy’s new offering.

The campaign, executed by Vanilla Films, has received positive feedback from both industry professionals and audiences. This comes shortly after Swiggy Instamart featured another 90’s actor, Juhi Chawla, in a campaign to showcase the platform's wide range of offerings and quick delivery.

Quick commerce platforms like Swiggy Instamart, BlinkIt, and Zepto have been selling gold and silver coins on their respective platforms for occasions like Dhanteras and Akshaya Tritiya for a few years now. The ability to deliver products like gold coins, iPhones, and luxury watches among other big-ticket items in under ten minutes reflects a growing trend in e-commerce, merging convenience with luxury purchasing. Last year, BlinkIt’s CEO, Albinder Dhindsa, highlighted that the platform sold over 200 coins per minute.

Quick commerce platforms usually experience high demand by offering items like Pooja Thalis, flowers, incense sticks, and sweets during the festive season, catering to consumers' last-minute festive needs. According to a report by market research firm Datum, e-commerce sales will rise by 23% year-on-year to reach about Rs 1 lakh crore ($12 billion), driven by a surge in quick commerce purchases in categories like cosmetics and grocery. 

The report also says that festive season gross merchandise value (GMVs) have ranged from 18-20 % of overall annual GMV since 2018. The 4-5 week season has a disproportionate bearing on the yearly sales of online marketplaces and retailers, it says.