Talented India creates new spot inspired by an emoji for amusement park brand, Wonderla

Wonderla, India’s largest and premier amusement park brand, has always positioned itself as an unmatched entertainment destination. Created by Talented Agency, the brand has launched a series of brand films that tie together an otherwise odd human protagonist devoid of fun, suddenly getting mind-blown thanks to Wonderla, its famous rides & rollercoasters, 3D animation, against a backdrop of carnatic background vocals, all in a single ad film.

The new film is, directed by Nitin Menon, features an interesting common scenarios with a unique hyperlocal twist, embodying what Wonderla stands for: an experience that goes beyond fun, delivering moments of pure thrill, excitement, and nostalgia. Main man Muthuswamy manages to delight parents, youth and children alike, by unlocking his inner child and delivering a thrill and nostalgia feeling only Wonderla can.

Wonderla boasts a creative device that is consistent with their Onam and Dassara ad films from last year – a blown mind.

Their latest spot follows a stoic Muthuswamy, portrayed by Bagavathi Perumal, who remains unimpressed at the city’s attractions—until he steps into Wonderla. This shift in expression is the crux of the campaign: Wonderla is a place that brings out one’s inner child. They make a convincing argument that return to theme parks as the only place that can engineer something so close to feeling the mind-blown emoji.

Despite their Dassara spot being aired in 3 cities, Nitin & Talented avoided language dubs through a simple hack: the lyrics of the score is familiar gibberish borrowed from different south Indian languages. You’ll have to hear it to know what we mean.

But Wonderla is more than just roller coasters and thrill rides—it’s about immersive, mind-blowing holistic experiences that elevate the amusement park visit into something extraordinary. The recently launched rides in Wonderla, like Hyperverse, a 360-degree immersive screen VR attraction in Hyderabad, or Mission Interstellar(India’s largest LED based immersive screen theatre) in Bangalore and Hyderabad, among many others, is a testament to this evolution. By shifting the narrative and crafting a language that appeals across generations, Wonderla positions itself as a cut above the rest, offering not just rides, but a comprehensive entertainment journey.

Dheeran Choudhary, COO, Wonderla Holidays Ltd., said: “At Wonderla, we’ve always believed in creating experiences that stay with our guests long after they leave the park. With this campaign, we’re not just showcasing our rides—we’re redefining entertainment itself. In a world dominated by passive, screen-based amusement, Wonderla offers something refreshingly real, exhilarating, and immersive. Whether it’s a child on their first coaster or an adult rediscovering their sense of wonder, we want every guest to feel truly mind-blown. This is just the beginning of our journey towards elevating Wonderla as the ultimate entertainment destination.”

Actor Bagavathi Perumal, said: “Viewers will not expect a person my age to convince you about a ride like that! I love the unconventional choice of protagonist for an ad about an amusement park. Crew members couldn’t stomach more than one round of rollercoaster Recoil. I’m proud to survive multiple runs for the right take. Wonderla truly has something for everyone.”

On the choice of the protagonist, Creative at Talented, Pearl Alex, said: “We did not want to make another colourful amusement park ad featuring beautiful, smiling youth. So we did the exact opposite – the ad begins outside Wonderla, with an uncle, who never smiles. In fact, some rejected situations include Muthu uncle NOT smiling at a rave party, at a Turkish ice cream stall, and at a zoo as a dolphin kisses his cheek. Our audience might know what Wonderla looks like. The mindblow was a way to convey what it feels like (and what they’re missing out on.)”

Director Nitin Menon, added: “Imagine getting on rollercoasters all day and calling it pre-production! This campaign was its own ride, where players understood their assignment, as did Bhagavathi Perumal who brought the eccentric character of Muthuswamy to life. Even our madcap bunch of background actors kept the crazy going. Sleepless nights were spent perfecting the colour, shape, density and the amount of debris for the ‘Mind-blow.’ Topping it off is a beautiful concoction of classical music and modern slang, sung by a, believe it or not, 90 year old Carnatic singer. This was the kind of amusement park ride you want to keep going back to.”