Think about it. What connects late rock legend John Lennon to the Netflix series stranger thingsAnd Kerala? Or squid gameSuperman and Malayali? Although, at first it may seem like nothing to us, Kerala Tourism thinks differently. And this has earned Kerala Tourism the 2025 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards for the Most Engaging Social Media Campaign.
Whether it’s the iconic Abbey Road photo of the Beatles, Vecna’s stranger things Drinking coconut water, or the superman whose kryptonite is Kozhikodan halwa – Kerala tourism’s online persona has become quirky, linking culturally relevant references to specific hyper-local examples.
“Everyone is jumping on it,” says Ajit Gopinath, national creative director, Stark Communications stranger things trend. As a brand, we don’t waste global anniversaries, pop culture events, etc. Our cultural radar, which is a team of youth, is always on. So did happen. Once we see a trend online, our team picks it up, and we work with it in a way that aligns with our description, due to the timely nature of it this is done within a day.
Monalisa dressed in Kasavu saree and Mullapu (a tribute to Malayali stereotypes in popular media) from the anime series Tanjiro Kamado demon slayerThe campaigns are the result of combining cultural trends with the culture, art, heritage and experiences of Kerala in imaginative, thoughtful formats.
“Our philosophy was very simple. We wanted to stay emotionally true to Kerala, but culturally current with the world,” says Ajith.
“Kerala Tourism has broken the formula, adopting global trends and localizing it in a way that it aligns with their brand identity,” says Geoffrey Shockey, a creative planner at an advertising agency in Kochi, Kerala. “A few years ago, they posted an April Fool’s Day prank on their Instagram handle, which featured Hollywood actors Tom Holland and Zendaya being clicked in Munnar, Kerala. It was an edited photo and a prank that went viral. This was before AI, and thus attracted a lot of attention to the page,” says Geoffrey, who also points out how these campaigns, in turn, draw more attention to their pages where other content that is based on timeless aspects about Kerala such as That is more about its nature, culture, trade etc.
travel for peace
One of the recent popular campaigns of Kerala Tourism was to pay tribute to John Lennon, to commemorate his 85th birthday, with the lyrics of the 1971 track ‘Imagine’ – ‘Imagine all the people living life in peace’, often accompanied by girls dressed in traditional attire of different religions crossing the road – a re-enactment of the Abbey Road album cover.
The post was about weaving globally recognized cultural symbols into the state’s story of harmony, peace and co-existence. Roy Mathew, managing director and co-founder of Stark Communications Pvt Ltd, says, “Such tributes went far beyond standard travel content, tapping into the shared cultural vocabulary that resonates across borders. John Lennon’s post in particular made a deep impact: the UK remains a key market for Kerala, and the Beatles are an enduring pillar of British pop culture. The reference felt natural, familiar and immediately attention-grabbing.”
By relying on universally relatable symbols, Kerala tourism expands its audience, makes its message emotionally visceral, and positions the state as a destination included in the broader global conversation, not only promoting places, but also participating in the culture. A fitting example of this would be a popular post that surfaced in June involving Korean series characters Young‑hee and Chul‑su. squid gameSeen boating near mangroves in Kerala for relaxation.
The Travel for Peace campaign, a series of social media posts about welcoming guests to Kerala, positions itself as a meeting point of identities, reaching out to different cultures and conveying the message that traveling with intrigue can make the world a better place to live. Roy says, “The campaign was built on the belief that Kerala could be created through universal human values rather than through any political lens.”
At a time when brands no longer make statements through their work and the world feels increasingly divided, “the ad was a reminder that movement, exploration and human connection can bridge divides. “By presenting the narrative in peace, Kerala Tourism showed how a destination can speak of empathy, healing and humanity while remaining above the political fray,” says Roy.
published – December 04, 2025 11:41 am IST