Škoda Auto India and BBH India launch 'Easy to Love' campaign for new Škoda Kushaq

Introduction

What do mustard fields, a timeless Bollywood classic, and a modern Indian SUV have in common? In the hands of a smart creative team, quite a lot.

Škoda Auto India and BBH India have launched their latest integrated campaign, titled 'Easy to Love', for the new Škoda Kushaq. Drawing inspiration from the iconic Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the campaign weaves together nostalgia, humour, and cinematic storytelling to position the Kushaq as an SUV that is as emotionally compelling as it is technically impressive.

In India's fiercely competitive SUV segment, where every major brand is fighting for consumer attention and wallet share, standing out requires more than feature lists and price points. It requires a story. Škoda and BBH India have delivered exactly that — and the execution is worth examining closely for any brand professional thinking about how to connect a product launch to cultural memory.

The big announcement

Škoda Auto India, in partnership with creative agency BBH India, has unveiled 'Easy to Love' — a full-scale integrated campaign built around the launch of the new Škoda Kushaq.

The campaign follows a carefully planned phased rollout. An earlier teaser and feature reveal film aired during the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup, capitalising on one of India's highest-reach media moments to build initial awareness and product curiosity. The main campaign film now builds on that foundation, shifting focus from feature showcasing to emotional storytelling.

The main film is set in everyday urban environments and follows three characters — a corporate professional, a young woman, and a family man — who each encounter the Kushaq and are suddenly transported into dreamy, romantic mustard-field sequences reminiscent of the beloved Bollywood classic. Each sequence humorously snaps back to reality, with the Kushaq revealed as the trigger behind these whimsical daydreams. The film concludes with sweeping visuals of the Kushaq driving through mustard fields while highlighting the vehicle's key features.

The 360-degree campaign is currently live across television, digital and social platforms, print, cinema, out-of-home, and radio. It will further extend into a social-first micro-drama series along with a series of brand collaborations and content initiatives designed to sustain engagement and deepen cultural relevance over time.

What this means for your brand

The 'Easy to Love' campaign is a textbook example of how to use cultural memory as a brand-building accelerator — and there are several lessons here for Indian marketers across categories.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is not just a film in India. It is a cultural institution — a shared reference point that cuts across generations, geographies, and demographics. By tapping into this emotional reservoir, Škoda has instantly created a sense of familiarity and warmth around the Kushaq that no amount of feature-driven advertising could replicate. The mustard fields, the romantic sequences, the familiar musical cues — these are triggers that bypass rational evaluation and speak directly to emotion.

This matters enormously in the Indian SUV segment. Consumers in this category are making significant financial decisions, and emotional connection plays a far larger role in brand preference than most product-focused marketers acknowledge. Škoda's decision to lead with feeling rather than specification is strategically astute.

The phased rollout strategy also deserves recognition. Launching the teaser during the Cricket World Cup — a moment when millions of Indians are simultaneously engaged with a screen — and then following up with the full emotional narrative is a well-constructed media and creative sequencing. It builds familiarity before asking for emotional investment, which is exactly the right order.

For Indian brands in considered-purchase categories — automobiles, real estate, consumer durables, financial products — the Kushaq campaign offers a clear creative direction. Cultural nostalgia, when used authentically and with humour rather than heavy-handedness, is one of the most powerful tools available to a brand communicator.

Expert take

India's passenger vehicle market continues its strong growth trajectory. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, SUVs now account for over 50% of total passenger vehicle sales in India — a remarkable shift that reflects changing consumer aspirations, road conditions, and lifestyle preferences across both urban and semi-urban markets.

In this environment, brand differentiation has become increasingly difficult. Most SUVs in the mid-premium segment offer broadly comparable features, safety ratings, and price points. The brands that win are increasingly those that build the strongest emotional associations — and advertising campaigns play a central role in constructing those associations.

BBH India's Chief Creative Officer Parikshit Bhattaccharya articulated the creative thinking behind the campaign clearly, describing how the team tapped into a cultural memory that instantly signals romance and nostalgia, blending humour with cinematic storytelling to show how effortlessly people can fall for the car.

That combination of cultural insight and creative craft is precisely what separates memorable campaigns from forgettable ones.

The brands.in perspective

'Easy to Love' is one of the more confident pieces of automotive advertising India has seen in some time. Škoda and BBH India have resisted the temptation to cram every product feature into every frame — a trap that most car campaigns fall into — and instead trusted the audience to be moved by a story first and a product second. The DDLJ inspiration is not lazy nostalgia. It is a deliberate, well-executed cultural bridge between an aspirational European brand and the deeply emotional Indian consumer. If the micro-drama series that follows maintains this creative standard, Škoda may have just built its most culturally resonant campaign chapter in India to date.

Key takeaways for marketers

• Škoda Auto India and BBH India launch 'Easy to Love' integrated campaign for the new Škoda Kushaq
• Campaign draws creative inspiration from Bollywood classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge using nostalgia and humour
• Phased rollout began with a teaser during ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup before the main film release
• The 360-degree campaign spans television, digital, social, print, cinema, OOH, and radio platforms
• Campaign will extend into a social-first micro-drama series and brand collaboration content initiatives

Frequently asked questions

What is the 'Easy to Love' campaign by Škoda Auto India? 'Easy to Love' is an integrated marketing campaign launched by Škoda Auto India in partnership with BBH India to promote the new Škoda Kushaq. It uses Bollywood-inspired nostalgia, humour, and cinematic storytelling to build emotional connection with Indian SUV buyers.

Why did Škoda use Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as creative inspiration? DDLJ is one of India's most beloved Bollywood films, carrying strong associations of romance, nostalgia, and aspiration across generations. Using its cultural imagery — particularly the iconic mustard fields — allowed Škoda to instantly create warmth and familiarity around the Kushaq among a wide Indian audience.

Where is the 'Easy to Love' campaign currently running? The campaign is live across television, digital and social platforms, print, cinema, out-of-home, and radio. It will also extend into a social-first micro-drama series and brand collaboration content initiatives to sustain long-term audience engagement.

Stay ahead of the curve

India's automotive advertising landscape is producing some genuinely exciting creative work — and campaigns like 'Easy to Love' raise the bar for the entire industry.

Are you tracking how India's top automobile brands are using cultural storytelling to win consumer hearts in a crowded SUV market? Follow brands.in for daily brand intelligence, campaign breakdowns, and the marketing insights that keep you ahead of the curve. Do you think nostalgia-driven campaigns are the most effective creative strategy for premium Indian brands right now? Share your perspective in the comments below.