Swiggy Instamart reimagines 5 Star's Ramesh Suresh and Colgate's 'Kya aapke toothpaste mein namak hai' ads

• Swiggy Instamart’s new TVCs give a modern twist to iconic ads from yesteryears.
• The campaign conceptualized by Lowe Lintas aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia for Swiggy’s express grocery delivery service.

Swiggy, India’s leading on demand delivery platform, has launched a series of new television commercials (TVCs) and digital videos for its grocery delivery service, Instamart. Using clever retakes on some of the most iconic ads from the last two decades, the TVCs illustrate plausible use-cases for the Instamart
service and highlight its super-quick delivery time of 15-30 minutes.

The 90s and the 00s are regarded by many as the golden age of Indian advertising – an era of transitioning to ads that reflected the changes in India’s socio-economic landscape and the mindset of its people. Many ads made during this period were transcendently memorable for their subtle humour, catchy jingles, clever storytelling, and relatable characters, and they continue to evoke a sense of nostalgia even today. Swiggy has tried to revive those memories and imbue them with an “Instamart twist”.

One of Instamart TVCs that has gone live has a hilarious take on ‘kya aapke toothpaste mein namak hai?’ that we are all well aware of. It features an old lady being annoyed on realizing that she has run out of salt to go with her fries. Soon after, a reporter pops up asking if there is salt in her toothpaste. The old lady gets further frustrated due to the absence of salt on her table, let alone in her toothpaste. Quickly enough a Swiggy delivery partner arrives with a salt packet in hand, while a voice-over plays in the background, “Need salt instantly? Use Swiggy Instamart. Groceries and more, delivered in 15-30 minutes!”
The second TVC that went live recently has a similar quirky take on the popular duo who go into a daze every time they take a bite of a chocolate bar. The commercial shows the goofy twins in the familiar setting of a tailor shop wherein they ask the tailor to shorten the length of a trouser. To pass time, they dig into their pockets looking for their favourite chocolate bar but only manage to come up with empty wrappers. As they stand staring at each other, a female Swiggy delivery partner calls out to them offering the much desired chocolate bars as the voice-over plays in the background “Need chocolatesinstantly? use Swiggy Instamart.… once again managing to tickle our funny bones while reiterating that Swiggy instamart is always there to fulfill your grocery needs.

Ashish Lingamneni, Head of Brand at Swiggy, said, “Swiggy is committed to bringing convenience to consumers’ doorstep and has pioneered the quick commerce model for instant delivery of groceries and essentials for the time-pressed urban consumer. As an advertiser, we love being at the intersection of entertaining viewers while also showcasing how our services add value to their lives. Our latest Instamart ads do just that while driving home the point that, no matter what the situation, you can rely on Instamart to provide for your grocery needs, be it a packet of salt or a bar of chocolate to satiate your late-night cravings.”

“Launching a new product in the grocery delivery space – one that is inundated by so many strong players was a real challenge. So we decided to grab eyeballs with a unique idea – by riding on the nostalgia of some beloved ads and giving it a humorous twist. The objective was to deliver Swiggy Instamart’s message in a novel format, one that would stick out as an enjoyable, entertaining piece of communication. It’s no surprise that the creative team had a riot revisiting old ads and marrying them with our offering – all as an ode to the classics," said Puneet Kapoor, Regional Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas - Bangalore.

Swiggy’s TVCs have become widely popular among viewers owing to their fun and relatable nature, especially in the wake of the success of the hugely popular IPL-themed TVCs. Staying true to Swiggy’s style of short, wacky, but impactful commercials, the new 20-second TVCs are peppered with humor and a generous dose of nostalgia.

The TVCs are being aired in English, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi across general entertainment channels meant for sports, English movies, Hindi movies, Hindi music, and more. They are also available on Swiggy’s digital channels.