View the best Indian brand work from the month. Featuring: Finolex, Kia, Upstox, PhonePe, JdMart, Bison Panel, Livspace, Taj Mahal Tea, UNAIDS, CRED, Bhima Jewellery.

One saw the volume and calibre of ad campaigns rise in March with Women’s Day and it’s good to see the momentum sustaining through April. It was a tough month with endless debates on politics and closer to our world, the Indian Premier League. The bubble burst (pun unintended) but not before some delightful advertising came our way. As always, regret that this list is limited to 10. Do follow Clutter Cutters’ weekly ad reviews (also published on FE BrandWagon online) for a more comprehensive coverage of brand work that speaks for itself.

Among those that get left out in the top10 are extensions of campaigns features in past months. That explains a Cadbury ‘Thank you’ or a Dream11 ‘Team’ not being featured here in this monthly countdown, among others.

Moving to the work that did make it to the top 10, Bhima Jewellery makes a statement and makes it in style. The idyllic soundtrack and movie-like presentation are complemented by the natural on-screen presence of the protagonist and the family that is supportive of her. It’s not just about the cause, but also how the brand manages to embed itself into the messaging with ‘Pure as love’.

UNAIDS urges us to see children the way they see themselves, in terms of gender identity, with a powerful moment of realisation in the mirror.

Kia adopts a new identity and this film brings the ‘Movement that inspires’ to life with some elevating music and some special moments from the exclusive realm of kids.

The Taj Mahal Tea film inspires you to take a moment off, transporting the viewer to a space of blissful solitude. The music and visuals marry the narration to make us go ‘Wah’ at the end of it.

Finolex flexes its insight muscle with a ‘Fill it, shut it, forget it’ approach delivered cleanly through funny scripts by Virender Sehwag.

Upstox makes its simple point without much fuss quite pleasantly for the viewer.

PhonePe and jdMart crack us up while making their respective points strongly.

Full marks to Livspace for upping the humour quotient while staying within the category problem zone.

Meantime, CRED continues to use celebrity humour to cut through and create a category.

At the other end of the spectrum alongside Taj Mahal Tea, the Bison Panel film offers another journey to a tranquil space.

Each one is different and special. But what’s common to the Bhima, Kia, UNAIDS, Taj Mahal Tea and Bison Panel films is that they have soundtracks that draw you in and keep you there, while elevating the films. Far from inducing avoidance, they might make you crave a repeat. Here’s hoping we see more like them in May.

View the ad films in full below.