House of McDowell’s Soda Celebrates the Magic of Friendship with Karthik Aryan in ‘Yaaron Wali Baat 2.0’

Jaipur, House of McDowell’s Soda, in collaboration with Team Spirit of Publicis Group India, has launched its latest campaign, ‘Yaaron Wali Baat 2.0’, celebrating the timeless spirit of friendship. Building on the brand’s legacy of yaari (friendship), the campaign revolves around the theme — “Karo Kuch Pehli Baar Jab Saath Hon Yaar” — highlighting the joy of experiencing ‘first times’ with friends that turn into cherished memories and lifelong stories.

Portraying Karthik Aryan as the brand ambassador, the film captures how he inspires a hesitant friend to try something new — a symbolic moment of courage drawn from friendship. The campaign then takes a playful turn, reimagining iconic “first-time” milestones from history — like landing on the moon or inventing social media — through the lens of friendship, humor, and camaraderie. These moments collectively convey that when friends are together, even the impossible becomes possible.

Varun Koorich, Vice President & Portfolio Head – Marketing at Diageo India, stated,

“Friendship has always been at the heart of House of McDowell’s Soda. With ‘Yaaron Wali Baat 2.0’, we are extending this legacy to a new generation. The ‘first-time’ moments shared with friends stay with us forever — they define who we are. Through this campaign, we aim to inspire today’s youth to create stories of friendship that last a lifetime. This film is not just an ad, but an invitation to celebrate the true meaning and strength of friendship.”

Kartik Smetsacek, Chief Creative Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi India, added,

“We wanted to reintroduce McDowell’s ‘yaari’ to the new generation. The idea was simple — most of our memorable ‘firsts’ happen with friends. By blending that thought with humor and epic historical references, we gave friendship a grand stage.”

Brand ambassador Karthik Aryan shared,

“My journey with McDowell’s Soda has always been about celebrating the magic of yaari. ‘Yaaron Wali Baat 2.0’ is special because it reminds us that those moments with friends give us courage, bring out our best selves, and create stories we’ll never forget. That’s what real friendship is — lasting and inspiring.”

The campaign marks a new chapter in the House of McDowell’s Soda journey, celebrating the eternal magic of friendship and its inspiring ‘first-time’ moments. It will be promoted across social media, out-of-home, and shopper platforms, reinforcing McDowell’s as the brand for friendship — by friends, for friends.

🎬 Watch the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_P84yCq_jw

Team Credits:

CEO: Paritosh Srivastava

Chief Strategy Officer: Ekta Relan

Chief Creative Officer: Kartik Smetsacek

Executive Director: Atin Vahal

NCD: Roshni Kavina

ECD: Trishya Kotwal

Senior VP: Karishma Menon

Sr. Brand Associate Strategy: Digvijay Dubey

Creative Team: Smita Mishra, Divesh Dishu, Avinash Jakhale, Anand Vyas, Darshan Jalgaonkar

National Films Head (Publicis Group): Jignesh (Jiggy) Maru

Executive Producers (Agency): Rahbar Sonawala, Pooja Talwar

Account Management: Sinjini Pal Mazumdar, Roshan Sonkar, Neha Talreja

Production House: GoodAfternoon Films

Director: Akanksha Seda

Executive Producers: Shashank Chaturvedi, Vikram Kalra, Robin D’Cruz

Producer: Alok Potnis

India DOP: Malay Prakash

Chile DOP: Matias Jara

Chile Action DOP: Jens Meyer

Production Designers: Neoti Upadhyay, Vinay Narkar

Music: Abhishek Arora

Editor: Shekhar Rogye

Graphics: Studio Gobo & Old Monk Studio