When Indian TV Ads Became Our Earworms: 10 Iconic ‘90s early ’00s Ads Jingles

A secret playlist from the ’90s and ’00s – 10 ads jingles that slipped into our minds, refused to leave, and might still be casting their spell. Which ones do you still hear in the dark?

Picture this: it’s Saturday morning, you’re grabbing Maggi or brushing your teeth, and out comes a jingle so catchy it hums through your day like background score to a very filmy childhood. That was the power of early Indian advertising, the perfect fusion of melody, memory, and marketing genius. Let’s rewind to 11 ads jingles that defined an entire generation.

1. “Dil Maange More” – Pepsi

Possibly the boldest youth slogan of the decade. This jingle was selling attitude besides selling cola. Pepsi turned three Hindi words into a national motto for wanting bigger, better, and cooler things. The way kids repeated “Dil Maange More!” in school told you everything you needed to know: Pepsi had won.

2. “Vicco Turmeric Nahi Cosmetic” – Vicco

You know a jingle is iconic when it becomes shorthand for an entire brand identity. Vicco turned a bright-yellow tube of herbal cream into a household superstar, thanks entirely to a tune so catchy it could sell turmeric to a turmeric farmer. This was the ad that made Ayurvedic skin care feel mainstream, even glamorous.

3. “Aaya Naya Ujala” – Ujala

If you heard this once, it lived rent-free in your mind forever. “Aaya Naya Ujala, chaar boodon wala” brought drama, melody, and laundry all into one surprisingly addictive package. In the ’90s, this was basically the laundry equivalent of a beat drop.

4. “Kya Aap Close-Up Karte Hain?” – Close-Up

The flirt anthem of the ’90s. This jingle taught a generation that a toothpaste brand could also be the soundtrack to teenage romance. The whispery “Kya aap Close-Up karte hain?” was marketing disguised as mischief and oh, it worked.

5. “Asli Masale Sach Sach” – MDH

A tune so deeply Indian, it practically smelled like your grandmother’s kitchen. MDH’s jingle was about authenticity, family recipes, and a man who wore a turban better than any brand mascot in history. “Asli masale sach sach” is still a truth bomb.

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6. “Washing Powder Nirma” – Nirma

The OG queen of Indian jingles. There’s no way you can hear “Washing powder Nirma” without immediately following it with “Doodh si safedi…” Whether you digged it or not, this tune was brand identity of the ’90s. Housewives danced, clothes sparkled, and Nirma ruled the whiteness wars.

7. “Kuch Khaas Hai” – Cadbury Dairy Milk

Before Cadbury went full Gen Z, they gifted the ’90s this warm, gooey, heart-hugging melody. “Kuch khaas hai…” captured joy, innocence, and chocolate cravings in one swooping vocal line. Shankar Mahadevan’s vocals sold a feeling along with chocolates.

8. “Hamara Bajaj” – Bajaj Auto

This jingle is pure nostalgia as Indian as Sunday cricket or waiting for cable to resume after a power cut. The melody had the emotional weight of a patriotic song, and the visuals (families on scooters, clean city roads, timeless Indian landscapes) made it feel like a love letter to the country. “Buland Bharat ki buland tasveer” still gives goosebumps.

9. “Googly Woogly Wooksh” – Ponds

A jingle that proves nonsense words can be absolute genius. “Googly woogly wooksh” was cute, cuddly, and somehow made moisturizing cream feel like a hug. Every kid repeated it at least once, usually while poking someone’s cheeks.

10. “You & I… in this beautiful world” – Vodafone (formerly Hutch)

Yes, this one technically enters the early-2000s zone but it’s too unforgettable not to include. This dreamy, feel-good melody paired with the adorable pug (THE pug!) made “You & I” a whole mood. It had the emotional softness of a Coldplay B-side and the simplicity of a children’s rhyme. Even today, hearing it feels like stepping into a gentler world.

Why These Ads Jingles Still Slap

• They were more melodic than half the pop songs of the time.

• They made ads impossible to skip even before skipping was a thing.

• They created a shared cultural memory. You didn’t just hear these ads jingles; you lived them.

• They proved that good music could sell anything from masalas to mopeds.

Editor’s Picks

Titan

You can’t go wrong when you want to portray class on screen by choosing Mozart. Here is his Symphony No.25 for the Titan watch ads that perfectly embodied the spirit of their tagline: the joy of gifting.

Cadbury

The brand set the cornerstone for quality in the Indian ads market with their ‘Kiss Me’ jingle. One that sparked infinite campfire romances at college excursions. It saw several variations over the years as Cadbury launched newer variants of ‘Silk’, one even featured Disha Patani in her formative years; but our favourite still remains the one that started it all.