________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
meaningful moments in our history with Laxmi; for a category and a community that has been under-represented in mainstream advertising for decades, that recognition matters far beyond a trophy,” Amrapali shares.
The winning work was Laxmi’ s Diwali campaign,‘ Diwali Ki Mithas Badhaane Ke Liye, Laxmi Hain Na’, which tells the story of an Indian couple living abroad who invite a group of Indian students into their home to celebrate Diwali together.“ What begins as a small, generous gesture transforms homesickness into shared warmth, laughter, and a sense of belonging,” Neil narrates.“ Food, in the film, becomes the language through which heritage is passed on – a very simple human truth that mirrors why Laxmi exists in the first place: to bring‘ home’ to the South Asian household, no matter where in the world that household happens to be.
“ We extended the campaign in a way that matched that ambition. Laxmi illuminated Times Square with the Diwali film, putting a homegrown South Asian brand on one of the most iconic stages in global advertising. Internally, the win is a validation of a thesis we have been building toward for years: authentic, culturally-rooted storytelling is not a niche play. Done with craft, it can stand alongside any mainstream campaign, and it can move both hearts and household penetration.”
Authenticity as a foundation
Turning to the recent rebrand, Amrapali explains that the transition from House of Spices to HOS Global Foods is best understood as catching up to the company it had already become.“ Our original name served us beautifully for five decades, but it described a category, not the business – we are no longer just‘ the spice house’,” she says.“ Strategically, the rebrand does three things: signals our evolution from a regional
132