Patriotism and national unity have become favorite brand positioning propositions for
advertisers in India. The paper explores the reasons behind the popularity of these patriotic
themes that also embrace notions of nationhood, communal harmony and national unity in
commercials and public service advertisements. While these patriotic themes used to be the
exclusive domain of the government media in the country, they are being taken up in a big
way by private business houses in their public communication endeavors. The research
study has examined six frequently telecast advertisements on Indian television networks
centered upon the theme of national pride, communal harmony and national unity. While
tracing the historical context of these advertisements, the paper also attempts to study their
impact upon the public. The primary research for the study comprised interviews with
respondents to explore the impact of these advertisements upon the public. The findings of
the study show that positioning brands on the themes of national pride, unity and patriotism
succeed in establishing a strong emotional connect in public minds leading to brand recall.