Nissan Motor India has rolled out a campaign for its all-new Nissan Gravite, positioning the seven-seater MPV as less of a family hauler and more of a catalyst for camaraderie. 

Conceptualised by TBWA India, the film reframes the traditional narrative around large vehicles, trading the predictable multi-generational family setting for a close-knit group of friends on a road trip. Borrowing from the spirit and easy banter of the Bollywood cult road-trip film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, the ad leans into nostalgia and recognisable pop-culture cues. At the heart of the narrative is the car’s proud owner, who relishes showing off his new buy with evident swagger, making one boundary clear: “gaadi tera bhai chalayega” (Your bro will drive the car). The line while capturing the male ego attached to a new car purchase lands as both affectionate and territorial.

The payoff arrives at the airport. As the group picks up a newly engaged friend and his partner, the dynamic shifts. When she asks if she can drive, the possessive owner hesitates for a microsecond before meekly relenting and handing over the car keys. The narrative playfully pivots with her inversion of his earlier line: “gaadi teri bhabhi chalayegi.” (‘Bhabhi’ is a colloquial term for sister-in-law.) In one stroke, the film punctures his male bravado and subverts the stereotype of large MPVs as a ‘guy car’.

What we think about it:  By drawing inspiration from the Bollywood cult road-trip film, the campaign uses a smart emotional shortcut that instantly signals friendship, freedom and adventure, aligning neatly with the Gravite’s ‘bring everyone along’ promise. Overall, the film is a breezy joyride, capped with a twist that cleverly flips a familiar stereotype and leaves the viewer smiling.