Brands
HUL leads top ten advertiser list in Week 31: BARC
Mumbai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd was the top advertiser across genres in BARC week 31 (31 July – 6 August), with ad volume of 5487.39 (‘000 secs). Grabbing the second position was Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd (3213.56).
The top two brands were followed by Brooke Bond Lipton India Ltd, Cadbury’s India Ltd, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, Colgate Palmolive India Ltd, Ponds India, Marico Ltd, ITC Ltd, and Lakme Lever Ltd in that order.
Among the top ten advertised brands across genres Dettol led the tally with ad volumes of 514.79 (‘000 secs). Horlicks stood second at 406.82 (‘000 secs).
The remaining list was dominated by FMCG brands including Vimal Elaichi Pan Masala, Dettol Toilet Soaps, Lizol, Clinic Plus Shampoo, Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Surf Excel Body Wash, and Close Up Ever Fresh in that order again. Edtech brand WhiteHat Jr was an exception at 10th position.
Brands
Britannia 5050 expands premium range with caramel dipped sandwich
New launch blends 50 per cent crunch and 50 per cent melt amid premium snack shift
MUMBAI: It’s not just crunch time anymore, it’s crunch meets caramel curtain call. After more than three decades of owning the sweet-salty sweet spot, Britannia’s 5050 is now leaning into indulgence, adding a caramel twist to its evolving playbook. The brand has introduced the Britannia 5050 Caramel Dipped Crunchy Layered Sandwich, extending its recently launched premium “dipped” range that began with its cheese variant earlier this year.
At the heart of the new offering is a familiar equation with a richer finish 50 per cent crunch and 50 per cent melt reimagined through a caramel-forward profile. The product combines layered, baked crispiness with a smooth caramel coating, tapping into a noticeable shift in how India snacks today.
That shift is less about choosing between textures and more about having both. As consumer preferences tilt towards premiumisation, “melt-in-the-mouth” experiences are increasingly complementing traditional crunchy formats. Add to that the rising popularity of caramel across both Western-style treats and Indian taste adaptations, and the timing begins to make sense.
The result is a deliberately engineered “crunch-to-melt” transition, a multi-sensory bite designed to turn routine snacking into something a little more indulgent. It is also a clear signal of how legacy brands are reworking familiar formats to stay relevant in a market that now expects novelty as much as nostalgia.
Britannia vice-president for marketing Siddharth Gupta pointed to this evolving behaviour, noting that the brand is pushing the 5050 idea beyond flavour into texture. The move, he said, reflects a broader attempt to align with changing consumer expectations while strengthening its position in the premium snacking segment.
The caramel and cheese dipped variants are currently available across select cities through retail outlets and quick commerce platforms, marking Britannia’s continued push into high-frequency, high-indulgence snacking occasions.
If the original 5050 was about balance, this new chapter is about contrast with a glossy caramel finish.
