Holi is among the few special times in India when everyone seems to tune in, the sudden change of weather, colours everywhere, people coming together, a ton of energy and time spent online? With 900+ million internet users in India and over 90% mobile-first consumption, festive periods typically witness a 23-25% spike in video streaming, gaming, and ecommerce browsing. Basically, during Holi, everyone’s online, bouncing between reels, offers, and short videos. The fight for attention? It gets intense. This is where Rich Media advertising becomes strategically powerful.
Unlike static display units, rich media formats are built for interaction, immersion, and measurable engagement. During a festival like Holi which is defined by movement and experience; interactive creatives align more naturally with consumer behaviour patterns shaped by vertical video, in-app usage, and swipe-led navigation.
Consumer Behaviour Lens
Attention is fragmented, not absent
Indian users spend 8 hours daily on mobile devices, but attention spans are selective. Rich media increases dwell time and interaction rates by enabling tap, swipe, tilt, expand, and playable functionality.
Festive discovery drives mid-funnel activity
Holi triggers spikes in fashion, beauty, FMCG, fintech offers, and gifting searches. Interactive formats support consideration-stage engagement through product galleries, in-ad videos, and gamified journeys.
Video-first consumption demands immersive formats
With high OTT and short-video penetration, rich media units delivering 70%+ VTR benchmarks (industry average for optimized video formats) outperform standard banners in recall and purchase intent.
Why Rich Media Ads Work During Holi
Let’s talk about what makes rich media such a game-changer:
- Expandable and multi-layered creative: Which allows brands more space without messing the users experience. It just feels natural.
- Gamified and playable ad units: People actually interact with these, not just glance and scroll past. This especially happens on festivals as the familiarity and rush of festive sentiment adds to the consumer behaviour.
- Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO): This is where things get really interesting as it tweaks the message in real time, depending on who’s seeing it, where they are, what device they’re on, and in-depth audience segmentation.
- Cross-Device Responsiveness: Seamless rendering across mobile and subsequent advertising on other screens in the house like tablet, desktop, and CTV environments can make a full funnel impact.
- High-Impact Formats: Formats across 360°, interactive video overlays, carousel catalog units, tap-to-reveal mechanics ensure the ads look like a curated experience over a run oif the mill ad.
The Holi Advantage
Holi is not a passive consumption moment – it is participatory by nature. Rich media leverages immersive storytelling + real-time interaction data, helping brands convert festive traffic into measurable engagement signals across the funnel.
In a season defined by colour and movement, rich media ensures your media strategy is equally dynamic.
Written By Sanjeev Bankira, Country Head Applabs, India & MENA
