Amul has a new Onam advertisement, with its mascot performing the globally viral 'aura farming' dance in Kerala's festive setting. The AI-generated ad film shows the iconic blue-haired Amul girl dressed in a pattupavada, a traditional two-piece festive attire worn by girls in Kerala. She paired it with sunglasses, performing the popular dance step. It became a global sensation after 11-year-old Rayyan Arkan Dhika from Indonesia performed it at a festival.
The ad also features Maveli (or Mahabali), the legendary king in Kerala folklore, believed to have once ruled a prosperous and just kingdom. He is said to return every year during Onam, the state's biggest harvest festival, to visit his people.
Maveli is seen standing at the end of a chundan vallam, Kerala's snake boat. These are long, narrow, beautifully decorated canoes used in the famous Vallam Kali (boat races) that are a major part of Onam festivities. In the ad, the boat is rowed by Amul products - milk powder, ghee, milk, and condensed milk - all animated with arms rowing through the backwaters.
The overlay text read, "Auraayiram Onashamsakal" (A thousand Onam wishes)
"Let this Onam come, along with the aura of celebrations," the dairy brand wrote in Malayalam.
Kerala Tourism also had its own AI-powered Onam campaign, giving Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa a Malayali makeover.
In the image, Mona Lisa is dressed in a traditional kasavu saree, the signature off-white attire with golden borders, and adorned with jasmine flowers.
The post carried the caption, "Timeless. Graceful. Iconic. The Kerala kasavu saree." Part of the tourism board's "State of Harmony" campaign, it invited travellers to experience the festival in Kerala.
Onam, Kerala's grandest festival, is a harvest celebration that falls in August or September; this year, from 26 August to 5 September. Rooted in the legend of King Mahabali, the festival is marked by floral decorations (pookalam), snake boat races (vallam kali), elaborate vegetarian feasts (onasadya), tiger dance folk art (pulikali), and traditional performances.
