The launch
Tilaknagar Industries has brought back the “Because, Men Will Be Men” platform for Imperial Blue packaged drinking water with a new campaign film. The work was created by 82.5 Grey, directed by Roopali Singhal and produced by DejaVu Films.
The film features:
- Aaron Kaul, known for Namacool and Almost Together
- Kaveri Seth, known for Gulmohar, A Suitable Boy and Made in India – A Titan Story
- Anant Joshi, recognised for 12th Fail
What the film says and how
The new film leans on one of the franchise’s most recognisable creative assets: a lift. It gives that familiar setting a new context, using chivalry and the desire to impress as the springboard for a humorous twist. The storytelling stays in slice-of-life shared situations rather than broad gags.
In this version, the women are not outside observers. They are active participants who are “in” on the joke, which the brand says keeps the irreverence of “Men Will Be Men” intact while reflecting how relationships have changed. The tagline remains “Because, Men Will Be Men.”
What the brand and agency say about it
Ahmed Rahimtoola, CMO at Tilaknagar Industries, described the film as the company’s first Imperial Blue packaged drinking water campaign under the Tilaknagar banner. He said the newly appointed creative partners have “elevated the well-loved Imperial Blue in a contemporary manner while driving reach to a new generation of consumers.”
Ishwindar Singh, senior vice president of marketing, pointed to the core challenge: “to find new creative ways to celebrate the quirky yet relatable male habits in the ever-evolving cultural context.” He added that “the lift is back and everyone is on the joke.”
Director Roopali Singhal said the humour “had to remain at the heart of it,” even as the campaign gained a younger, more contemporary perspective. She credited the 82.5 team with a solid script and a clear sense of direction, and added that the women in this film are not just watching the “Men-isms” but are part of them.
The category context
The return is positioned as an extension rather than a reinvention. Imperial Blue is using a platform with strong cultural recall and trying to update it for younger consumers. The campaign’s “Mennisms” — the brand’s term for everyday male quirks — remain the creative material, but the dynamic around them has shifted.
For a packaged drinking water brand, the bet is on distinctive wit and relatability as memory structures rather than a purely functional refresh. The involvement of 82.5 Grey and a female director also signals a deliberate attempt to freshen a male-centric franchise with new creative voices.
What to watch next
The next test is whether this warmer, more inclusive take can help Imperial Blue’s packaged drinking water business “accelerate its growth story,” as Tilaknagar Industries says it intends. Watch for whether the franchise continues to return to familiar assets like the lift, and whether the brand extends the “everyone is on the joke” framing to future films.
Watch the original: Imperial Blue on YouTube
Source: Afaqs!
