For those of us in the advertising and media world, the next few months feel like our own Super Bowl for brands. There’s a buzz everywhere; people are buying new clothes, cars, gold, electronics, and even homes. E-commerce giants shout 'mega sale', FMCG brands push festive packs, and every marketer wants to ‘own’ the season. In the middle of it all, we creatives, planners, and producers are frantically trying to stay afloat, juggling the mayhem.

August and September, especially, are a blur of festivals: Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami, Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Durga Puja. Each is distinct, yet together they bring people closer in a way only India can. For brands, it’s peak shopping and gifting. For our industry, it’s the season of late nights, endless revisions, tight deadlines, TV spots, digital campaigns, influencer tie-ups, and client calls that never end. Exhausting, yes, but also when some of the most magical work comes alive.

What I love most is how festivals mirror back into our work. Take Lord Ganesha. During Ganesh Chaturthi, cities turn into art galleries and music festivals; giant, vibrant idols everywhere, music and dance in the streets. But beyond the spectacle, Ganesha feels like a patron saint of creativity. He isn’t just the remover of obstacles; he’s a reminder that imagination, patience, and clarity in chaos keep us going. His elephant head stands for memory and vision, his broken tusk for sacrifice in creating something lasting, and his potbelly proves that we must take wins and rejections in stride. Every time an idea gets killed in review, we can remind ourselves to digest it and move on, cos something better is coming.

And then there’s Maa Durga. If Ganesha is the God of beginnings, she’s the Goddess of survival in the storm. Durga Puja celebrations are when whole neighbourhoods turn into living, breathing art installations. Pandals rise as palaces, global landmarks, or bold artistic statements. The city becomes the creative community’s biggest canvas. And Durga herself, ten arms, weapons in each, could easily be an ad agency person in festive mode. Multitasking, battling deadlines, fighting off doubt, keeping clients happy, and still pushing a brave idea through. That energy is pure divine inspiration.

Onam, meanwhile, feels softer, grounded. It’s about gratitude, unity, and prosperity. Brands approach it more gently, leaning into authenticity and tradition rather than spectacle. And for us, it balances the chaos of the other festivals, giving another shade to work with as storytellers, weaving into the rich tapestry of India’s unified diversity.

Every year, I’m reminded how these festivals reflect the creative rhythm of life. High-energy months and quieter ones. There is a time when you sow ideas and a time when you harvest results. Festivals aren’t just religious rituals; they’re live performances of design, art, music, and theatre. For us in advertising and media, they’re both muse and battleground: they inspire, push, and keep us on our toes.

Maybe that’s why we hold them so close. Festivals let us celebrate not only gods and rituals, but also the spark of creativity within us. And in this business, that divine creative spark is everything.

The author is founder and chief creative officer, HumanSense (Sri Lanka). This column first appeared in our August issue. Buy your copy here.