Why is this work relevant for Creative Strategy?

A wedding is the most significant life milestone for an Indian family and they’re as grand. They involve thousands of guests! But the wedding season coincided with Covid19 lockdowns imposed in India. We made the impossible, possible, by taking the Big Fat Indian Wedding online And it wasn’t just a video call. Shaadi.com’s #WeddingsFromHome was as close to a traditional wedding as could possibly be in a pandemic stricken world. With latest technology and sharp cultural insight, #WeddingsFromHome became an extraordinary example of how regardless of circumstances, the grandeur of Indian weddings can be kept intact in a digital landscape.

Background

The 2020 wedding season in India coincided with the Covid19 pandemic at its worst The wedding season according to the Hindu calendar coincided with the strictest lockdown period around March-April 2020. And postponing a wedding is not just inconvenient, but also considered a bad omen Wedding dates are usually decided upon careful reading of the stars and religious calendars by priests. Missing an auspicious date might mean waiting several months for another. So how could Shaadi.com, India’s leading matchmaking portal help couples get married in the pandemic? To solve this problem, we needed to reimagine the big fat Indian wedding in the new normal, while delivering on: 1. Shaadi.com's brand purpose of bringing people together. 2. A boost in social media followers & conversations about Shaadi.com. 3. Garnering earned media coverage across print, online and TV.

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

Shaadi.com has been India’s leading match making service since 1996, but today, faces competition from other matchmaking and dating apps The nation-wide lockdown meant many put the search for a life partner on hold And the uncertainty about pandemic caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for couples and their families. So we went beyond the brand's primary service of matchmaking to help couples get married. We aimed at creating a truly memorable experience for the consumers and become a part of their life stories forever. To address all these needs and expectations people in India have with regards to weddings, we knew we needed to create am extraordinary platform that went beyond just a video call. So we curated an all rounded experience that included - customised wedding invitations and wedding-themed Zoom backgrounds, we also connected priests, make-up professionals, musicians, and even henna artists to the platform.

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

Indian weddings are not just about the rituals, they’re a carnival for all to enjoy It’s about dressing up, having fun with the rituals, and most importantly, the couple living their fairy tale. And we didn’t want them to settle for anything short of that! So when it came to lockdown weddings, a video call just doesn’t cut it To address this need, we created a platform that gave couples an array of wedding services to make their day special. These included customised wedding invitations and wedding-themed Zoom backgrounds. We also connected priests, make-up professionals, musicians, and even henna artists to the platform. From couples under the same roof to those thousands of miles away from each other, #WeddingsFromHome was an opportunity to ensure their special day remained special, even in trying times.

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

The big idea: Take the big fat Indian wedding online in the ‘new normal’ #WeddingsFromHome We launched #WeddingsFromHome on our social media accounts and created a dedicated wedding planner portal to help couples with their remote weddings. We put on our wedding planner hat to make #WeddingsFromHome a reality We planned bespoke #WeddingsFromHome for our couples – from arranging for a priest/pandit/maulvi to creating digital decorations, customised invites and online bridal grooming sessions for our couples. And we captured the love stories of couples who used our platform in heartfelt videos Couples who used the platform shared their wedding videos with us and we turned them into engaging, emotional and uplifting videos to share on our social channels Our weddings videos became a shining example of how, regardless of circumstances, it is possible to be together with Shaadi.com and #WeddingsFromHome.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

Before #WeddingsFromHome, an online wedding was an unimaginable idea for India Delivering on its core purpose of bringing people together, Shaadi.com’s #WeddingsFromHome was an unprecedented initiative. We embraced technology with cultural sensitivity, and a deep understanding of our consumers’ needs and aspirations. As the brand was exposed to aspiring couples and all of their wedding guests through #WeddingsFromHome, we reached millions in the perfect context of a wedding! The campaign reached a national audience of 486 million, and an international audience of 14 million. The novelty and 'Indianness' of organising a remote wedding got everyone talking about #WeddingsFromHome. #WeddingsFromHome made headlines across popular media outlets in India and 10 other countries! Shaadi.com received #WeddingsfromHome enquiries from 174 couples in just a four-week period. And we attracted organic press coverage worth over US$150,000 of ad value, with global media for Shaadi.com surpassing US$140m.