Mast or Meh: Father’s Day feels - Who nailed it - Instamart, VIDA, or Atlys?

Every year, brands roll out their big moments for Father’s Day - pulling at heartstrings, sparking smiles, and celebrating dads in all their glory. But let’s be real: not every attempt lands. Some ads warm us up with genuine emotion or clever storytelling, while others… well, should’ve stayed on the cutting room floor.

That’s where Storyboard18’s Father’s Day ad review special comes in! We’ve combed through this week’s campaigns to spotlight the ones that truly delivered and the ones that didn’t quite make the cut.

Mast

Brand: Instamart

Instamart flips the Father’s Day script with a digital film that’s as charming as it is cheeky. Framed through a teenage son’s sharp wit, the campaign turns the classic “papa ka batua” into an emotional sidekick we can all laugh with - and at. From faded metro cards to forgotten love notes, dad’s wallet is a hilarious time capsule that steals the spotlight. The film lands with a clever punchline (and a 10-minute delivery promise) that hits the sweet spot between humour and heart. A relatable, well-timed campaign that’ll leave both dads and their wallets - feeling a little lighter.

Mast

Brand: VIDA

Agency: Creativeland Asia

Ranbir Kapoor and Anil Kapoor are at it again, but this time revving up a generational scooter showdown that’s as electric as the VIDA VX2 itself. In VIDA’s latest campaign, the father-son-style tug-of-war over tradition vs. tech takes center stage, with Ranbir plugging in for the future and Anil kicking it old-school. The banter crackles, the setting feels real, and the message is crystal: the EV wave isn’t coming, it’s already parked outside.

Mast

Brand: Prega News

Pregnancy ads often spotlight moms, and rightly so, but Prega News takes a delightful detour this Father's Day. Their new campaign featuring stand-up comic Aashish Solanki flips the script by celebrating the unsung role of expectant dads. Watching Solanki hilariously bumble through a day with a faux baby bump is both entertaining and eye-opening. But the real charm kicks in when the story pivots, spotlighting the emotional support dads bring to the table. It’s a light, warm, and much-needed take that makes you smile while nudging you to appreciate both sides of the pregnancy story. Cheers to Prega News for delivering this message with heart and humour.

Mast

Brand: Canara HSBC Life

Canara HSBC Life Insurance’s Father’s Day spot gets it just right - no overblown heroics, no violins in overdrive. Just a dad doing what dads do: swatting cockroaches, catching cups mid-air, investigating midnight noises - all while quietly securing his family’s future on an app. The ad’s strength lies in its relatable moments and the understated message that protection isn’t always loud or dramatic; sometimes it’s in the background clicks of a life insurance policy.

Mast

Brand: Atlys

Atlys nails it with a Father’s Day film that’s as sharp and efficient as the dads it celebrates. The ad cleverly mirrors the no-nonsense punctuality of Indian fathers with the brand’s promise of fast, organised visa processing - and it does so without getting preachy. From the dad beating his alarm to his mysterious document system, every beat feels instantly relatable. The cheeky closing line (“Indian dads are 100% on time. Atlys is 99.2%.”) sticks the landing with a wink. This one works because it keeps things simple: warm insight, crisp storytelling, and a brand message that actually fits.

Meh

Brand: SBI General Insurance

SBI General Insurance’s Father’s Day ad tries to cash in on dad-wisdom by stringing together decades of paternal “No” moments, then flips the script with a final “Yes” to buying health insurance. Cute in theory, yawn in execution. The humour feels stuck in a WhatsApp-forward template, and the emotional payoff lands with the weight of a feather. What could have been a fresh take on evolving fatherhood ends up looking like a safe, corporate checklist item: play nostalgia card, insert brand message, and fade out. Dad would probably say “No” to watching it again.

Mast

Brand: Arvind

Agency: Togglehead Studios

Arvind’s “Unspoken Love” is a quiet charmer. Without big drama or loud messaging, it celebrates the small gestures that speak volumes in father-son relationships - a toy plane here, a pocket square there, an ever-reliable Arvind shirt marking life’s milestones. The film does a neat job of making the brand feel like an emotional constant through the years, rather than just a label. The storytelling is warm, relatable, and refreshingly subtle - no hard sell, just heart. Nicely done.