Mumbai, August 03: The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) partnered with TVF’s hit show Gullak creating a campaign that uses purpose-driven storytelling to highlight the benefits of rooftop solar for households.. CEEW is among the world’s leading climate think tanks, Through its collaboration with TVF, CEEW is creating an entertaining and reliable route to simplify rooftop solar and build awareness around its long-term value for Indian homes.
As audiences increasingly tune out traditional advertising, brands are rethinking how they engage consumers. The next frontier of branded content has moved from passive product placement to purposeful storytelling, where the message becomes an integral part of the narrative while remaining entertaining. Popular fictional characters, built over years of consistent storytelling, now enjoy a level of trust that rivals creators and celebrities. Brands are leveraging these trusted relationships to communicate complex messages, from financial literacy and health to sustainability and clean energy, in ways that feel authentic rather than intrusive. Entertainment IP has become a strategic communication platform capable of influencing awareness, shaping perception, and even driving consumer action.
The TVF– CEEW collaboration illustrates this shift. Instead of producing a conventional awareness campaign, the partnership uses the familiar world of Gullak and its trusted and beloved middle-class family universe — led by actors including Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Harsh Mayar and Sunita Rajwar —to simplify rooftop solar adoption, address misconceptions, and encourage homeowners to view solar as a long-term household investment rather than just another utility purchase. The objective is to build trust, address barriers to adoption, and drive meaningful consumer action. Reethira Kumar, Senior Programme Communications Specialist, CEEW, said: To bring climate issues into mainstream conversations, and build interest and intent regarding issues like renewable energy at the household level, i.e. rooftop solar, among others, CEEW has been intentional in exploring formats and partnerships that weave essential climate messaging as relatable and entertaining narratives. To build climate consciousness, it becomes important to meet audiences where they are. The Gullak cast–the beloved and trusted Mishra household and all that they navigate, was a natural fit for something (RTS) that ought to matter to families. Our partnership with TVF definitely establishes great potential for producing more evidence-based, culturally-rooted stories to induce climate action intentions.
Vijay Koshy, President at TVF said, “At TVF, we have seen first-hand that when audiences connect deeply with a story and its characters, that relationship goes far beyond entertainment. Shows like Gullak have built trust over years by reflecting the realities of Indian families with honesty and humour. That trust gives us a unique opportunity to take important conversations—such as the transition to rooftop sol—and make them relevant, accessible and actionable. Our collaboration with CEEW demonstrates how powerful entertainment IP can be when storytelling, credibility and purpose come together to create meaningful impact.”
As brands and institutions increasingly look for more meaningful ways to engage consumers, collaborations such as this highlight the growing potential of entertainment IP to simplify complex messages, build trust and inspire real-world action. By placing rooftop solar in the context of a familiar Indian household, the Gullak x CEEW collaboration aims to make clean energy more accessible, relatable and actionable for consumers.
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