Ad Campaigns
Marico’s Saffola Masala Oats nudges Sanjay Manjrekar to ‘Behave’
Mumbai: In a witty new campaign for Marico’s Saffola Masala Oats, launched during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Manjrekar is being nudged to “Behave” in the face of his own snack cravings. The new campaign takes a light-hearted approach by capitalizing on Manjrekar’s iconic “Behave” moment during the recent Premier League 2024, in order to promote healthier snacking choices.
The two commercials, conceptualized by Madison Communications, written by Mullen Lintas and executed by Disney+ Hotstar Creative Works, take viewers on a journey with Manjrekar as he prepares for a cricket match. Initially tempted by the familiar yet unhealthy snacks of samosas and spring rolls, Manjrekar is humorously reminded of his past advice to the crowd – “Behave!” – in a playful reference to a well-known incident. Caught between his desire for taste vs health consciousness, Manjrekar discovers a delightful solution – Saffola Masala Oats. The commercial not only showcases the product ingredients such as oats, veggies and desi spices in their full glory, but also highlights its quick and easy preparation, thus transforming from a pack into a delicious bowl of oats with a convenient three-minute timer.
Expressing his excitement about the collaboration, Marico Ltd chief operating officer- India & foods business Vaibhav Bhanchawat said, “We’re thrilled to have Sanjay Manjrekar for this campaign. His playful and relatable personality perfectly complements the campaign’s light-hearted approach, highlighting the brand’s ability to satisfy cravings without compromising on health and taste. Cricket, especially with this ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, is synonymous with passion and energy, just like the emotions we experience around snacking. Sanjay’s presence brings that same kind of excitement to the campaign, reminding viewers that Saffola Masala Oats becomes their go-to choice for those who seek both health and taste in their snacks, especially during the high-octane environment of this tournament.”
Madison Media Ultra COO Jolene Solanki said, “Snacking and sports go hand in hand, while many snacking brands take this opportunity to be present during the sport, we at Madison believe that just being present with the regular TVC will only build awareness. Brands spend a huge amount of money on sporting events but very few focus on blending both media and creative together and be relevant, that’s when you make your investments work harder. Conceptualizing the idea and creating a special creative with Sanjay Manjrekar and his famous, trendy line “Behave” along with Saffola Masala oats helped us be relevant during the ICC Men’s T20 World cup 2024.”
This new ad cleverly addresses the consumer’s constant need for snacks that fulfill their emotional desires. However, when faced with unhealthy options, a moment of conscious decision-making becomes evident, leading to a preference for choices that seamlessly blend health and taste. The ad captures the brand’s core message: “Bindaas Saffola Masala Oats bana, Dil ko na kar mana’’
The advertisement has been featured on Disney+ Hotstar during their exclusive first-of-its-kind live cricket show, ‘Caught & Bold’ and also during the innings break at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The campaign will also be amplified across social media platforms.
NATIONAL: Amazon Ads has laid out a sharply tech-led vision for the advertising industry in 2026, arguing that artificial intelligence, streaming TV and creator partnerships will combine to turn brand building into a more precise, performance-driven business.
At the heart of the shift, the company says, is the fusion of AI with Amazon’s vast trove of shopping, browsing and streaming signals, allowing advertisers to move beyond blunt reach metrics to campaigns designed around real customer behaviour.
“The future of advertising is not about reaching more people, but the right people with messages that resonate,” said Amazon Ads India head and vice president Girish Prabhu. “By combining AI with deep customer insights, we help brands move from broadcasting campaigns to having meaningful conversations wherever audiences spend their time.”
One of the biggest changes, according to Amazon Ads, will be the collapse of the wall between media planning and creative development. Retail media, powered by first-party data, is increasingly shaping everything from brand discovery to final purchase, pushing marketers to design campaigns around audience insight rather than internal instinct.
AI is also moving from a support tool to a creative engine. Agentic AI, which automates and accelerates production, is expected to make high-quality creative accessible even to small businesses, compressing weeks of work into hours and giving challengers the ability to compete with larger brands on speed and scale.
Behind the scenes, AI-driven analytics will take on a bigger role in campaign optimisation, identifying patterns, spotting opportunities and recommending actions that would previously have required teams of analysts.
Streaming TV is another big battleground. With India’s video streaming audience now above 600 million and connected TV users at 129.2 million in 2025, advertisers are set to treat streaming not just as a branding channel but as a performance engine, measured increasingly by sales, sign-ups and bookings rather than just reach.
Finally, Amazon Ads sees creators and contextual advertising reshaping how brands tell stories. Creators will act less like influencers and more like long-term partners, while scene-aware ads on streaming platforms will allow brands to insert hyper-relevant offers into the flow of what viewers are watching.
Taken together, Amazon Ads argues, these shifts mark a move towards advertising that is both more human and more measurable, where AI handles the complexity, and creativity does the persuading.
