Father’s Day campaigns often celebrate dads through emotional films and heartfelt messages. Zepto took a different route this year, by turning fathers into superheroes.
In a Father’s Day activation shared by Zepto Chief Brand Officer Chandan Mendiratta on Linkedin, the brand launched a tool that allows users to upload a photo of their father and generate a personalised comic strip using Google Gemini. The experience transforms the kind of stories many Indian dads are famous for telling into larger-than-life superhero adventures.
The idea taps into a familiar cultural truth. Almost every Indian has grown up hearing stories that begin with, “Back in my day…” Tales of swimming across rivers to get to school, studying under streetlights, cycling impossible distances, or overcoming extraordinary challenges often become part of family folklore. Zepto’s campaign takes those exaggerated yet cherished stories and visualises them as comic-book narratives.
The sample comic shared by the brand perfectly captures the insight. A father recounts how he “swam across rivers to get to school” and “studied under street lights after tough school days.” The tool then reimagines him as a caped superhero battling life’s challenges, complete with dramatic illustrations and comic-book panels.
What makes the activation stand out is its use of AI as a storytelling tool rather than a technology showcase. The technology sits quietly in the background while the emotional payoff remains front and centre. Instead of asking users to consume content, Zepto invites them to create something personal, shareable, and deeply relevant to their own families.
In a Father’s Day cluttered with predictable tributes, Zepto’s comic-book generator succeeds because it celebrates something uniquely universal: every dad believes his childhood was tougher than yours.
And for once, technology lets him prove it.
