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Case Study: How Zepto's festive campaign used AI to give Soan Papdi an image makeover

Zepto's festive campaign transformed the often-overlooked sweet, Soan Papdi, into a festive hero through humour and an AI-generated character. Here's a Case Study on it.

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Social Samosa
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Zepto's festive campaign

This festive season, Zepto turned an overlooked cultural icon — the re-gifted Soan Papdi — into the hero of its festive campaign. Through the "Make Soan Papdi Great Again" campaign, Zepto sought to elevate the humble sweet, adding a humorous twist with an AI-generated Soan Papdi character and creating an unexpected emotional connection.

With a 74% boost in engagement, Zepto successfully transformed the sweet's perception. Here's a Case Study on how they did it. 

Category Introduction

Quick commerce (q-commerce) emerged as a crucial service during the pandemic and has since evolved into a fast-growing sector catering to diverse consumer needs, from groceries to electronics. With advancements like AI-driven demand forecasting and real-time inventory management, q-commerce is reshaping retail. The Indian q-commerce market reached a GMV of $2.3 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 27.9% through FY27 (RedSeer). Key players include Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Flipkart Minutes.

Brand Introduction

Founded in 2021, Zepto has become one of India’s fastest-growing consumer brands, delivering over 25,000 products within minutes. With a mission to save users’ time and celebrate cultural moments, Zepto leverages key events like Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratras and Diwali to strengthen brand recall and position itself as a go-to for festive needs.

Campaign Summary

The "Make Soan Papdi Great Again" campaign aimed to revive fondness for Soan Papdi, an iconic yet often re-gifted sweet, by humanising it and celebrating its role as a festive staple. The campaign used humor and emotion to rekindle its significance during Diwali, subtly positioning Zepto as a hub for all festive essentials.

Objective

In a crowded festive landscape, Zepto aimed to spotlight Soan Papdi—a staple in Diwali households but often overlooked. The campaign sought to elevate its value, transforming it from a regifted item to a cherished part of the festivities, while promoting Zepto as a one-stop shop for Diwali essentials.

Creative Idea

The team developed the concept of "Make Soan Papdi Great Again," crafting an AI-generated character for the sweet to connect emotionally with the audience and make it the campaign’s hero.

Challenges

Key challenges included:

  • Ensuring the AI-generated Soan Papdi character was recognisable and connected emotionally with viewers.
  • Navigating potential trolling for creating a counter-culture campaign around a subject often used in memes, necessitating a smart approach.
  • Coordinating a complex outdoor shoot with multiple scenes that required precise planning for authenticity.

Execution

The campaign was conceptualised by Zepto’s in-house team, produced by Third Floor Films, and directed by Jigar Fernandes.

A strategic move was creating a LinkedIn profile for Soan Papdi as "Come Back Officer." Anticipating LinkedIn’s guidelines might lead to its removal, the brand used the profile’s novelty to drive engagement while it lasted. When the profile was removed, the brand transitioned the persona to Zepto’s official LinkedIn page, maintaining momentum and extending the conversation to maximise impact.

The campaign used Meta, YouTube, and LinkedIn, with the Soan Papdi character featured in digital ads and teasers released a week prior building excitement.

 

Results:

  • Quantitative:

    • 800 million+ total impressions across platforms
    • 74% increase in engagement
    • 500% increase in platform searches vs. the previous week
    • Top 3 searches on Soan Papdi featured brand mentions, with Zepto as a leading search term
    • 10k new followers on social media
  • Qualitative:
    • Industry Recognition: Communications experts like Karthik Srinivasan praised the campaign, noting its humorous take and cultural relevance.
    • Social Media Buzz: Featured by platforms like Social Samosa, the campaign resonated with the advertising community.
    • LinkedIn Engagement: The "Come Back Officer" persona gained traction, with coverage from pages like Humans of Bombay.
    • Influencer Collaboration: Partnership with Viral Bhayani boosted authenticity and visibility.
    • Cultural Impact: The campaign turned a cultural joke into a moment of pride and nostalgia, making Soan Papdi a conversation starter during Diwali.

“Soan Papdi is more than just a sweet. It’s a symbol of Indian festivities and an enduring part of celebrations,” said Chandan Mendiratta, Chief Brand Officer at Zepto. “This Diwali, we’re thrilled to celebrate its charm with the help of our dedicated sellers and delivery network.”

Diwali Campaign soan papdi Zepto festive campaign