Yashraj Mukhate: The creator who outgrew his viral moment

Yashraj Mukhate stopped being “the Rasode Mein Kaun Tha guy” a long time ago. Over the last five years, he has emerged as one of India’s most dependable sonic creators, building branded jingles for more than 50 campaigns across sectors. His client roster now reads like a mainstream advertiser list ie.Tic Tac, Paytm, Britannia, Lotte, Dream11, Cadbury and Netflix.

Speaking to exchange4media, the engineer-turned-composer said he began making jingles in 2019, and the demand surged once brands recognised his knack for turning everyday sounds into sticky hooks. “I’ve always wanted to make jingles. I’ve followed Amit Trivedi and A.R. Rahman’s work closely,” he said. “I know Amit Trivedi sir made jingles before he entered films, and I’ve been a fan of his jingles as well. Fortunately, because of social media, I’m now getting opportunities to make them. The skill is to make music but in a short span—you have to tell a story, think about brand identity, and cater to their audience. It’s slightly challenging, but I enjoy that challenge.”

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On Instagram, he has 2.5mn followers with an average of 67.3k likes, 258 comments and close to a million reel views per post. His estimated reach stands at 5.31 lakh users with an engagement rate of 2.61%. His YouTube presence is larger—52 lakh subscribers, 143 videos and an average of 91,000 likes and 872,600 views per upload. A majority of his content sits in the arts and entertainment bucket, followed by music-driven entertainment, comedy and movies. Secondary clusters such as cricket, tech, food, politics and automobiles contribute between 5–10% of his mix.

His audience profile is sharply skewed to Mumbai, which accounts for 19.84% of his viewership. Maharashtra contributes 39.81%, and India as a whole form 91.42% of his base. The demographic is predominantly male at 58.96%, with the 25–34 age group forming nearly half of his audience at 49.44%. His credibility score—91.64%—positions him as a high-trust creator whose mix of music, humour and pop-culture references works consistently for brands.

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Inside the Pepero Launch: A Campaign Built on Music

For Lotte’s Pepero launch in India, Mukhate created the anthem “We Are All Peperos,” released in August 2025. It marked the brand’s India introduction and was built specifically for Gen Z. “So this is the first time they are launching and my asset was the first thing that they were presenting to the audiences. So the brief had, they had a very specific brief, specific audience they want to target and specific kind of music reference also they had in mind. So I had to follow that and it came out really pretty well,” he said. He explained that most brands today come to him with awareness-first mandates. “Sometimes it's sales, sometimes it's awareness but mostly because of the social media and digital media and the nature of it, it is mostly awareness,” he said. “Because I think sales is a byproduct of that. So I don't think they come to make a digital campaign work so that their sales could increase. Eventually that happens but the primary motive is to spread awareness or trigger user-generated content.”

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The Pepero video follows a playful storyline, with Mukhate’s character winning over his girlfriend’s brother using Pepero. “Pepero is more than just a snack. With the Korean Wave sweeping across India, we saw an opportunity to introduce Pepero through a cultural lens that deeply resonates with Gen Z. Music has always been a powerful connector, and through our collaboration with Yashraj, we hoped to inspire young consumers to celebrate togetherness in the most fun and memorable way,” said Milan Wahi, Managing Director, Lotte India.

Brands Lean on Mukhate’s Sonic Identity

Britannia recently tapped Mukhate for its “Chai Kha Lo, Good Day Dooba Lo” anthem, a musical spin on a viral chai-seller chant. Archana Balaraman, General Manager – Marketing, Britannia Industries Ltd., said the brief was straightforward—turn a routine chai moment into a relatable brand cue. “Chai time is one of India’s most cherished rituals. With Good Day Dooba Lo, we wanted to strengthen the brand’s bond with tea. Yashraj helped us create a fun, relatable anthem with a modern twist,” she said. The campaign delivered on expectations with instant shareability. “People found the tune addictive and shared their own chai moments. It became instantly shareable,” she added. She noted that Britannia’s media mix today balances traditional and digital, with influencer partnerships selected based on natural brand fit.

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Tic Tac, meanwhile, launched its “Refresh Your Vibe” digital campaign in July, marking its third collaboration with Mukhate. The campaign invited users to complete the track “Kyunki Meri Tic Tac Life Hai” and upload their versions to a microsite. With daily rewards and weekly giveaways, the contest culminated in a winning entry being featured in an official music release with Mukhate scheduled for August 22, 2025. “With ‘Refresh Your Vibe,’ we’re speaking the cultural language of our core consumers. Music is one of the most powerful forms of self-expression today. Partnering with Yashraj Mukhate helps us connect authentically with youth and pop culture,” said Zoher Kapuswala, Marketing Head, Pills and Gums, Ferrero India. “This is our third collaboration with Yashraj, and each time, it’s been about creating something fun and fresh. This time we’re not just running a campaign – we’re inviting our consumers to be co-creators of the culture they love,” he added.

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A Creator Who Knows the Power of Sonic Memory

Mukhate’s portfolio now spans FMCG, OTT, fintech, confectionery and sports. His signature sound has shaped Tic Tac’s “Refresh Your Vibe” and “#TicTacLife,” Lotte India’s Pepero launch, Dream11’s IPL 2020 jingle, Cadbury’s wrapper melody, Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking remix and Paytm’s Kokilaben integration. For him, the appeal of jingles is rooted in cultural recall. “We know so many brands that we only remember because of the sound that came in their TV ads or their jingles. Remember Maggie, Britannia ting ting ting, the Nescafe jingle. Amit sir's jingle, hello honey bunny. We remember the DoCoMo jingle because of the sound that Ram Sampath did at that point of time. So, brands know that the sonic identity and music plays a very important role in registering their brand in people's minds,” he said.

He added that his digital identity makes the brand-creator fit easier. “Fortunately, the kind of content that I make on social media, the digital presence I have is because of the musical content that I make on my page. So, it is a nice bridge for me to connect to brands. Usually when I connect with brands, it's only for making the jingles and putting them on my social media so that people know about it and people groove to it,” he said. According to him, music mixed with comedy remains one of the strongest storytelling tools. “Music has its own value,” he said.