Emami has rolled out an AI-generated ad film for its prickly heat powder brand Dermicool. The campaign, ‘DermiCool Warriors’ reimagines the brand's jingle ‘Aaya Mausam Thande Thande Dermicool Ka’ with a futuristic-setting storytelling, leveraging Gen-AI. 

Conceptualised by Wondrlab, the campaign was executed by TopScout and Crushed studios by using emerging AI-powered tools. The film blends the brand's nostalgic legacy with next-gen technology, while reinforcing the brand's core proposition: effective cooling relief from prickly heat with the double power of neem and tulsi. Set in a fantasy-inspired universe, the film reimagines prickly heat as ‘ghamoriya’ monsters—symbolising itchy summer skin rashes—and positions Dermicool as the heroic cool warrior that defeats them using the natural strength of its ingredients.

What we think about it: While the campaign can be seen as an ambitious attempt to blend nostalgic legacy with future-facing storytelling in a bid to engage younger audiences, it leans heavily on the AI-generated visuals, and may not land equally well across all consumer segments. That said, it clearly signals the legacy brand’s willingness to embrace innovation and experiment with emerging formats in a marketing landscape where every brand is vying for the attention of digital-first consumers.

Kaushik Vedula, AVP-marketing, Emami, said, “DermiCool enjoys the love of its consumers owing to it consistently delivering cooling relief from heat and associated problems like prickly heat. In our efforts to win the new generation consumers we realised that we needed to adopt modern story telling formats while retaining the legacy we are proud of. DermiCool Warriors, our digital film, is an effort in that direction. It embraces future-facing technologies in brand communication while staying true to the brand’s core emotional legacy and promise. The campaign highlights the strategic use of AI as a cost-effective alternative to high-budget filmmaking, while being more agile and efficient approach to creative development.” 

Amit Akali, co-founder and CCO, Wondrlab, and Gauri Gokarn, content lead, added, “Very rarely does a client present a brief that lets us push creative and technological boundaries. We had the concept in place, but bringing AI into the mix supercharged the execution and gave the film an entirely new visual identity.” 

Ibrahim Mir, chief creative officer, The TopScout, said, “We’re proud to be developing this ground-breaking digital film with partners at Emami who've courageously accepted the power of AI-led filmmaking. This film not only breaks the stigma of using AI generated visuals but also pushes the bar for how AI can be a facilitator for the new age advertising. With visuals created entirely with the power of AI for a brand that defined our childhood summers, it's targeted at resonating with the digital audience of today. This campaign blends nostalgia with innovation, reviving the iconic jingle ‘Aaya Mausam Thande Thande Dermicool Ka’ through a future-ready, trendsetting AI-gen approach.”