HUL Activation at Malad Masti Festival + Digital Campaign

 Introduction

To connect deeply with local communities and strengthen brand recall in suburban Mumbai, HUL activated at the Malad Masti Festival—an annual cultural gathering celebrating music, food, dance, and local pride. Psyber Inc. delivered a holistic phygital campaign combining on-ground experiences with digital storytelling, aligning with HUL’s tradition of culturally relevant brand engagement.

Objectives

1. Brand Visibility & Relevance
   Build affinity through immersive brand presence aligned with local flavor and emotional storytelling.

2. Consumer Engagement at Festival
   Drive real-time interactions via engaging experiences that reflect product strengths and brand identity.

3. Digital Amplification & Follower Growth
   Extend event impact beyond onsite attendance via social media, user-generated content, and influencer storytelling.

Activation Strategy & On-Ground Execution

Experiential Touchpoints

• Interactive Bungalows: Branded booths offering sampling and quick product trials (e.g., home care demos, handwash stations).

• Local Talent & Cultural Acts: Sponsored community performances and folk music tied to product messaging in a non-intrusive way.

• Engagement Zones: Photo booths with festival frames and hashtag prompts (e.g. #MastiWithHUL, #HULMalad), encouraging user tagging and capturing UGC.

Giveaways & Gamification

• Instant Wins & Stickers: Branded stickers, small samples, and instant prizes distributed via a wheel-of-fortune game linked to festival tasks.

• Micro Workshops: Short DIY sessions like soap-pouring, eco-art using FMCG packaging—reflecting sustainable messaging.

Tech-Enabled Interaction

• QR Stations & AR Filters: QR-triggered digital stories of HUL’s sustainable initiatives and AR filters for festival selfies that brand-sharable across Instagram and Facebook.

Digital Campaign & Social Media Engagement

Hyperlocal Social Seeding

• Promoted real-time Instagram reels and Facebook stories featuring brand zones, local performers, and user clips tagged under official hashtags.

• Encouraged on-site attendees to post experiences with geo-tagging and branded filters in exchange for digital rewards.

Influencer Collaboration

• Activated Mumbai-based micro-influencers and regional content creators to share headliner moments with live broadcasts and reels—based in Malad neighborhoods to emphasize authenticity.

Owned Content & Paid Amplification

• Curated post-event highlight videos and UGC compilations for HUL’s official pages.

• Launched paid social campaigns with these videos, targeting Mumbai West and family-oriented audiences to drive brand recall and social reach.

Results & Key Metrics

Notable Insights & Learnings

• Cultural Resonance Works: Mirroring the success of HUL’s cultural campaigns like Surf Excel’s regional narratives and Birla’s local-brand-story formats, the Malad Masti activation struck the right emotional chords (humility, local pride, inclusivity) .

• Phygital Experience Amplifies Reach: On-ground social activations with QR-based storytelling and AR features mirrored what brands like ITC Mangaldeep did during Maha Kumbh with immersive digital experiences—boosting reach beyond physical attendees .

• Respectful Festive Integration: Following the model of successful culturally sensitive campaigns by brands like Dabur Red Label and Ghadi Detergent at sacred events, the Malad campaign maintained community-first tone—serving local needs while softly integrating brand messaging .

Conclusion

By fusing experiential on-ground touchpoints with real-time digital amplification, Psyber Inc helped HUL transform the Malad Masti Festival into a culturally relevant and digitally visible brand moment. The result was heightened community engagement, elevated brand recall, and a new wave of original content tied back to brand essence—all executed with cultural respect and storytelling authenticity.