MUMBAI: Brands are increasingly playing up rivalries through tongue-in-cheek ads that seek to gain traction with the social media crowd. This time, it was Tata Motors' turn to take a subtle jab at Hyundai.

The market is currently abuzz with the launch of Hyundai’s next-gen i20 on 5 November, and Tata Motors decided it would be the perfect time to mess with the Korean carmaker.

Ahead of Halloween, Tata Motors released a short 15-second video which showcases the upcoming i20 under a ghostly veil, with a message that reads, “This is a tri20”. The ‘tri20’ corrects itself to ‘trick’, followed by the appearance of the Tata’s Altroz which bears the tagline, “This is a ‘treat’.” Ominous laughter at the end really drives the message home.

"You can i the trick 20 times, but it's the treat that you fall for," said Tata Motors in yet another dig at its competitor.

Ad wars are nothing new – who can forget the four-cornered fight between BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar? Moreover, it’s not limited to just the auto industry. One usually sees Burger King, McDonald’s and even Wendy’s getting into it, as well as the classic Pepsi versus Coca Cola feud. It will be fun to see if and how Hyundai decides to retaliate. Diwali and Christmas are just around the corner, so hopefully something then? The sooner the better.