MAM
PepsiCo’s iconic brands turn up the heat in Sizzlin’ Hot TVC
Mumbai: Flaming up the snack aisle, PepsiCo India, one of the leading players in snack and beverage industry, has introduced a new TVC to celebrate the expansion of its Sizzlin’ Hot platform. This fiery TVC features the complete Sizzlin’ Hot range including Lay’s, Kurkure, and Doritos while highlighting the irresistible heat-packed experience each product offers.
Sizzlin’ Hot taps into the deep affinity Indians have for ‘chilli’ and offers a spicy sensation, tailored for each iconic brand within PepsiCo’s salty snack portfolio. Following the success of Lay’s and Doritos Sizzlin’ Hot in India, Kurkure recently joined the fiery lineup, introducing its own Sizzlin’ Hot variant that infuses ‘chilli ka tadka’ with Kurkure’s iconic crunch.
The TVC brilliantly portrays a spectrum of reactions that unfold when people snack onto the irresistible Sizzlin’ Hot range. Set against a captivating backdrop of diverse scenes, including cozy living rooms, bustling offices, and vibrant public spaces, each moment captures their unfiltered, spontaneous responses to the fiery spiciness. From frantically searching for something cool to shedding tears and energetically sprinting in search of relief, this engaging sequence of genuine and humorous reactions serves as a mirror, reflecting the surprise that awaits anyone who takes their first bite of Sizzlin’ Hot.
Commenting on the Sizzlin’ Hot range expansion and launch of the TVC, PepsiCo VP and foods category head of India and South Asia Anshul Khanna said, “Last year, we introduced one of our most successful global platforms, Sizzlin’ Hot in India and have witnessed an overwhelming response. As we approach the festive season, we’re thrilled to announce the expansion of the platform with localised flavours for the unique Indian spice palate across our beloved brands, including Lay’s Maxx, Kurkure, and Doritos Dinamita. The launch will be accompanied by a comprehensive 360-degree marketing campaign that is sure to get people to intrigued about the fiery range. We hope that consumers love this new range and continue to spice up their snacking occasions.”
“The Sizzlin’ Hot flavour is available in 3 formats – Kurkure, Lays and Doritos. No matter which one you pick up, the fiery taste is likely to make you react in unexpected ways. From fiery exclamations to bizarre sounds, the execution of the TVC brings together a gamut of expressions in a way that you can’t help but watch it again. Pretty much like the product, that you can’t help but eat another”, added Leo Burnett India national creative director Vikram Pandey (Spiky).
Sizzlin Hot’ range is available in Lay’s, Kurkure and Doritos across all leading retail and e-commerce platforms in India. The TVC will be supported by a robust 360-degree surround campaign.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
