Mast or Meh: Knorr, Berger Paints, Lifebuoy - who faded fast and who painted joy?

Find out who made the cut and who got cut in Storyboard18’s weekly picks of the best and most boring ads.

By  Sakina KheriwalaJul 11, 2025 8:16 AM
Mast or Meh: Knorr, Berger Paints, Lifebuoy - who faded fast and who painted joy?
Stills from this week's ads

Every week, brands continue rolling out their spotlight moments to wow us - but let’s be real, not every attempt strikes gold. Some ads make us chuckle, spark a thought, or stick with us well beyond the ball drop, while others… should probably stay in drafts.

That’s where Storyboard18’s weekly ad reviews step in! We sift through the latest campaigns, calling out the ones that truly shine and those that miss the mark. With our straight-up, zero-fluff approach, you’ll get the real scoop on which ads are worth your attention. Dive into this week’s Mast & Meh to see which ads we gave a thumbs up and which weren’t even worth a yawn!

Mast

Brand: Knorr

Agency: Pepper Creative

Who knew marketing ramen could be this unhinged - and this effective? Knorr’s latest campaign featuring comedian Samay Raina is a wild ride that turns every rule of influencer marketing on its head - and comes out slurping hot with genius. Crafted by Pepper Creative, the ad hilariously chronicles a “brainstorm gone wrong,” where Raina tears up the script, spills tea on the product (literally), and turns a boardroom into a battleground of brand anxiety. The result? A campaign that doesn't even try to sell the noodles… and yet, sells the chaos perfectly.

Meh

Brand: Lifebuoy

Lifebuoy's latest campaign featuring Shah Rukh Khan is proof that even a King can’t save a soap from slipping on its own legacy. The familiar jingle got a remix, but instead of striking nostalgia or freshness, it feels like a forced groove on a soapbox. SRK joins a dance troupe mid-shoot, busting out signature moves to a reworked line that swaps “tandrusti” (good health) for “behtar twacha” (better skin). Cute rhyme, but a confusing rewrite. Lifebuoy has always stood for health - now suddenly it's gunning for skincare supremacy? Pick a lane.

Mast

Brand: Jeevansaathi

Agency: WLDD Private Limited

Jeevansathi.com’s latest ad doesn’t just reimagine history, it flips the script with wit and tech wizardry. Giving Mumtaz a voice (finally!), the brand uses AI to call out the age-old “build her a monument” trope and nails a modern dating truth: time > grand gestures. It's punchy, sharp, and refreshingly relevant. The line “I needed Shah Jahan’s time, not a monument” deserves its own standing ovation. Emotional storytelling meets tech in a way that doesn’t feel forced - and lands a bold message. Smart move, Jeevansathi.

Mast

Brand: Berger Paints

Agency: FCB Neo

Berger Paints hits a glossy home run with its latest Silk ad featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan strutting through her blindingly shiny home indoors, in Kala Chashma, no less. The concept is simple but slick: walls so glam, they practically demand sunglasses. The clever pairing of Bebo’s effortless sass with the product’s core benefit “high shine” works like a charm. It’s aspirational without taking itself too seriously, with a wink of humour and a burst of style.

Meh

Brand: MR.DIY

MR.DIY’s new campaign with Rajkummar Rao starts with a bang but fizzles into a pile of predictable retail clichés. “Milega Kya, Mat Pooch – MR.DIY Has SABKUCH” sounds more like a desperate shout from a flea market vendor than a confident brand promise. Rao, as a quirky reporter, tries his best to inject life into the script, but even his charm can’t cover up the ad’s lack of spark. The ad tries too hard to be everything at once - funny, emotional, informative - and ends up being none of them convincingly.

Mast

Brand: Oakley

Agency: Brandmovers India

Oakley swings for the future and scores with its new campaign ‘Artifacts from the Future’ starring India’s Test Captain, Shubman Gill. Set in a slick, sci-fi aesthetic, the ad brings 2075 tech into 2025 style, and it’s hard to look away. The campaign is fast, fresh, and fantastically forward-looking. Oakley isn’t just predicting the future - it’s designing it, and Shubman Gill is the perfect poster boy for that leap.

Meh

Brand: Blissclub

Blissclub’s latest campaign featuring Karisma Kapoor had the makings of a retro hit - but instead, it ends up jogging in place. Banking on 90s nostalgia and Karisma’s evergreen charm, the brand tries to stitch together a quirky moment where the actress refuses to return the clothes because they’re that comfortable. Cute idea, but weak execution. The behind-the-scenes gimmick feels overly staged, and the punchline "Minu, woh toh outfits le gayi, le gayi!" - tries too hard to be meme-worthy but barely lands.

First Published on Jul 11, 2025 8:16 AM

More from Storyboard18

Advertising

Cannes Lions to impose stricter integrity standards including three-year ban amid AI concerns

Cannes Lions to impose stricter integrity standards including three-year ban amid AI concerns

How it Works

Spoiled milk and rotten promises: Q-comm firms' hygiene lapses threaten FMCG brand ties

Spoiled milk and rotten promises: Q-comm firms' hygiene lapses threaten FMCG brand ties

Advertising

Google expands AI-driven ads in India, betting on generative search to power growth

Google expands AI-driven ads in India, betting on generative search to power growth

Brand Makers

Microsoft's Cindy Rose to succeed Mark Read as WPP CEO

Microsoft's Cindy Rose to succeed Mark Read as WPP CEO

Brand Marketing

Cannes Lions Grand Prix Spotlight: How PENNY turned price into packaging - and won big

Cannes Lions Grand Prix Spotlight: How PENNY turned price into packaging - and won big

Advertising

WPP cuts profit, revenue outlook for 2025 as client spending slows amid tougher economy

WPP cuts profit, revenue outlook for 2025 as client spending slows amid tougher economy

Brand Marketing

YouTube cracks down on repetitive content: Monetisation only for original creators from July 15

YouTube cracks down on repetitive content: Monetisation only for original creators from July 15