Brand: Zepto x Britannia The Great Indian Fake Shaadi
Scope: Creative direction, Strategy
Year: 2025
Location: New Delhi
What started from a niche social media trend of Gen Zs attending Indian-wedding themed parties, the concept turned into Zepto's first and biggest invite-only experiential activation to date.
Fake Shaadi is the crown jewel that kicked off the on-ground events playbook at Zepto. My team and I worked on the overall creative direction and execution for the event.
The official Fake Shaadi after-movie
The logo lockup used throughout the event
We began shaping the creative long before sponsors came on board. The direction was clear from day one- a loud, unapologetic ’90s desi middle-class wedding aesthetic. Think blaring brass bands, bright backdrops, ornate borders, heavy florals, and patterns fighting for attention.
It was intentionally maximal, drenched in colour, unmistakably Indian, and joyfully overstimulating- just like the weddings that inspired it.
On-ground decor and vibes
The visual language carried straight into the on-ground experience as well. We partnered with the wedding planning agency, Meragi, to bring the decor to life in the same loud, maximal ’90s desi style, translating our chaotic moodboard into a fully immersive shaadi setup.
Social media communications
Background fabric patterns created entirely from scratch to mimic 90s Indian decor
’90s Indian festive decor often relied on makeshift fabric banners as stage and photo backdrops. Inspired by that, we built a library of 12 custom patterns from scratch- complete with texture, grain, and intentional misprints to capture the imperfect charm of real cloth. This pattern system became the foundation of the entire visual system.
The creative and operations team behind Fake Shaadi
That is me, sixth from left! The dress code was strictly Indian ethnic. Everyone contributed with their unique experiences and narratives that helped shape the overall strategy.
On-ground Zepto assets
The Zepto assets were our playground for cultural storytelling. Every touchpoint was layered with hyper-local references- a buaji-style matchbox, nosy aunties on tent cards, fufaji’s “budget” printed on fake currency, shaadi-style signages and over-the-top props.
Each piece felt instantly familiar to anyone who’s grown up around Indian weddings. The humour lives in the nuance- the kind you fully appreciate only if you’ve been part of the chaos yourself.
Brands found the concept interesting and kept pouring in. We even had to say no to a few because we didn't have the bandwidth. The following are some of the branded on-ground activations at the event:
Zepto's cart
Photo booth
Closeup smile cam
Manforce vibrating bed
Sugar's kiosk
Minimalist's kiosk
Closeup's kiosk
Britannia's cart
Fabelle's cart
Shaadi.com's kiosk
Media coverage by Live Mint
Fake Shaadi was a hit that began a unique playbook in the Indian q-commerce space. It was covered in the media by NDTV, Lifestyle Asia, Live Mint and others.
Fake Shaadi's success led to other experiential activations in the following months- New Year Party, Fitverse and Prom Night as well!
