Cristos Wafers captures the joy of chilling in its latest campaign

Who doesn’t enjoy a snack break during a hectic workday or indulging in a cheat day from our diets? With the increase in mental stress, the need to unwind and relax has only grown stronger. Embracing this universal love for relaxing and snacking, Gopal Snacks’ brand Cristos Wafers has launched its marketing campaign, ‘The World of Mexican Chilling.’ Crafted by Scarecrow M&C Saatchi and brought to life by director Rajiv Rao of Nirvana Films, this campaign is a bid to make the brand's mark in India’s competitive snack market.

The campaign begins by transporting us to 'The World of Mexican Chilling', where Christopher, an artist, is seen painting a portrait of his sidekick, Buddy. However, even in his artwork, he’s reminded of the chillies associated with Cristos Wafer's new variant, the centerpiece of their inaugural large-scale marketing push.

In addition to the 'Christopher - The Artist' TVC, the brand has released six other films depicting Cristopher’s carefree lifestyle, backed by an anthem, cinemagraphs, GIFs, and short videos, all aimed at reinforcing the brand's message. Moreover, the brand's marketing campaign will extend across digital platforms, OTT, radio, outdoor, and print media.  

Jaydip Maheta, Head of Media and Communications, Gopal Snacks, expressed his thoughts- “Namkeen as a mother category often reflects strong cultural ties, like Gathiya for Gujaratis and Jhalmuri for Bengalis. However, wafers stand out as a universally accepted and loved snack and are enjoyed by people of all ages, cultures, and geographies. Even multinational companies have made their Wafer brands a global favourite. So, it becomes strategically important for any Namkeen brand, including Gopal, to put a special focus on Wafers as a sub-category.”

Reflecting on the campaign, Raj Bipinbhai Hadvani, Whole-time Director and CEO said, “Our mother brand Gopal touches the heart and soul of everyone who celebrates Indian culture. However, the youth is evolving and they resonate and relate more with the globally accepted food formats like Wafers. And that’s exactly how we came up with a more youthful sub-brand Cristos! Also, it is not just about creating the brand but also creating a whole new world for the brand.”

Speaking of Cristopher, Manish Bhatt, Founder Director, Scarecrow M&C Saatchi said,  “In a time when a disproportionate amount of brand budget is being spent on celebrities and influencers, we created our own influencer and our own celebrity for our brand. And when we studied the world of brand mascots, we found that the majority of them are either illustrations, animations or CG. This inspired us to create Cristopher, arguably the second-ever human brand mascot in the history of Indian advertising after Onida’s Devil from the late 80s. But we didn’t stop there and also created an entire World of Mexican Chilling which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not only for the brand team, the production house and the director but also for everyone in our agency!”