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Masala with a match twist as Saffola spices up snacking game
MUMBAI: In a season when cricket commentary is as spicy as the snacks on our laps, Saffola Masala Oats has pitched a googly that’s clean bowled viewers with laughter and nostalgia. In a sizzling new campaign starring the ever-iconic Sanjay Manjrekar, the brand proves that oats can be masaledar enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with chaklis and chakhna without compromising on nutrition.
Conceptualised by Mullen Lintas with support from Social Panga and Madison Communications, the campaign flips the script on traditional health food advertising. It begins in a podcast-style face-off where the host cheekily pulls up Manjrekar on his famously “brutal commentary.” As clips of his classic barbs, “bits and pieces player” and “not having the range” play out, Manjrekar, caught snacking on masala chakli, quips, “Eh… thoda masala toh chahiye na!” What follows is a swift on-screen swap with a steaming bowl of Saffola Masala Oats, served with a side of wit and wellness.
Set against the backdrop of IPL frenzy, the campaign is a spicy sequel to last year’s viral “Behave” spot. This time around, Manjrekar serves up commentary and charisma with equal flavour, as the brand positions its oats as the go-to snack for India’s young, health-conscious crowd looking for a punch of taste in every spoonful.
Speaking on the campaign, Marico Limited chief executive officer for India core business Ashish Goupal said, “Saffola has always stood for smart choices products that are nutritious, convenient, and great-tasting. Over the last year, we’ve evolved our brand storytelling to resonate more deeply with younger audiences. The cricket campaign is a significant step in this journey combining humour, nostalgia, and relatability with a message that snacking can be both nutritiously convenient and genuinely enjoyable. Sanjay Manjrekar brings the perfect blend of edge and familiarity to drive home this idea.” He adds, “We are also seeing growing consumer acceptance of oats in India not just as a breakfast option, but increasingly as a savoury, anytime snack. As a category leader, we are committed to shaping this evolving snacking culture offering exciting formats and bold flavours that meet the expectations of today’s health-conscious yet taste-loving consumer.”
Talking about the creative thought process behind the campaign, Mullen Lintas chief creative officer Ram Cobain said, “What’s cricket without a spicy take by Sanjay Manjrekar? Last year, we used Manjrekar’s famous (or rather infamous) ‘Behave’ remark as the central idea for the film. For this year’s IPL, we’ve used not one, but half a dozen of his ‘masaledar’ comments from the past, to cook up a fun banter between him and an interviewer. And smoothly slid a bowl of Saffola Masala Oats as a cheeky, socially-palatable alternative.”
Sharing their experience of working on the campaign, Social Panga Mumbai creative head Ketki Karandikar shared, “When it comes to exciting and flavourful experiences, Sanjay Manjrekar’s unfiltered opinions on cricket find the perfect match in Saffola Masala Oats. We crafted bite-sized, snackable content tailored for social media platforms and paired it with sharp quick commerce collaborations. The result? A seamless journey from screen to spoon, ensuring the masala flavour wasn’t just talked about, but tasted in real-time.”
Reflecting on the strategy of tapping into India’s cricket frenzy, Madison Media Ultra COO Jolene Fernandes Solanki shared “Consistency is key to brand building, two years in a row now, we’ve hit a six with cricket fans! Our continued partnership with cricket events and having associated with Sanjay Manjrekar has not only driven engagement but also reinforced Saffola Masala Oats as a anytime snacking meal”
The innovation doesn’t stop at marketing. With new gourmet oat flavours and the easy-to-carry Cuppa format, Saffola is doubling down on snacking that’s both satisfying and smart.
Because in India’s new snacking league, masala is the MVP and Saffola’s got it down to a fine oat.
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Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
