Cultural Synergy: ITC Bingo and Spotify serve up a spicy hit with Korean-flavoured chips

At a time when cultural relevance is the cornerstone of effective marketing, ITC Bingo has tapped into the global Hallyu trend (the Korean wave) to launch their newest product: Hot & Spicy Korean-Style chips. This strategic collaboration with Spotify, the platform where K-pop and Gen Z culture converge, has allowed the brand to connect with a younger audience in a way that feels both authentic and impactful.

What led ITC Bingo to foray into the Korean food trend? Says Suresh Chand, Vice President & Head of Marketing (Snacks, Noodles, Pasta) at ITC Bingo, “We're committed to staying connected with the ever-evolving tastes of each generation, from millennials to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Through our trends intelligence, we recognised the Korean wave as a significant cultural movement, and we knew it was the right time to introduce India’s first Korean-inspired snack. Our product team took great care to create a snack that’s authentically Korean yet tailored to Indian palates, with the entire campaign drawing inspiration from the vibrant world of K-pop."

 

Blending flavour with sound

Given the unique nature of the product, the team at ITC Bingo wanted to launch the product in a memorable and clutter-breaking way. At the heart of their campaign was the idea of creating a multisensory experience in which the bold flavours of the Korean-style chips are mirrored by the vibrant energy of K-pop.

To bring this concept to life, ITC Bingo collaborated with Aoora, a popular K-pop artist who has a growing fanbase in India through Big Boss. Aoora released an original song titled ‘Maeun Maeun’ (meaning ‘spicy’ in Korean), designed to evoke the fiery and intense flavour profile of the chips. The supporting creatives carried the copy ‘2X Spicy’, subtly underlining the heat of the chips as well as the repetition of the word ‘maeun’ in the song title. This intersection of product and pop culture resonated with K-pop fans, who are predominantly an under-25 audience.


Reaching the right audience with Spotify

Gen Z is Spotify’s fastest-growing cohort globally, with more than 560 billion songs and 3 billion podcast episodes streamed in just the first half of 2023 (a whopping 76% increase from 2022). As a generation that likes to keep up with fast-evolving global cultural trends and craves depth, over 79% of Gen Zs in India agree that Spotify brings people deeper into culture. This puts Spotify at the heart of shaping and reflecting the cultural zeitgeist of today’s youth.

“This is our first music-centric campaign in India and from the start, Spotify was on our mind as it is a platform that’s central to the music space. That’s why we decided to launch the song on Spotify,” says Kanav Kaushal, Brand Manager (Snacks) at ITC Bingo.

On the day of the song's release, the brand ran a high-impact Video Headliner ad and sustained the momentum with pre-roll Sponsored Session video ads that reward listeners with 30 minutes of ad-free listening. With Spotify’s streaming intelligence, the ads were delivered to two audience segments—foodies/cooking enthusiasts and listeners with an affinity for K-pop—ensuring that the brand's message reached the most relevant and receptive audiences. The brand also sponsored the ‘K-pop Wave’ playlist on Spotify, underscoring the product’s association with the genre and grabbing the attention of K-Pop stans.

 

A campaign that resonated

“The response was brilliant. The campaign was true to the brand, true to the consumers, and is showing results in terms of numbers,” says Kashyap Ramaswami, GM, Marketing (Snacks) at ITC Bingo. “We saw a disproportionate increase in sales after the campaign, especially in outlets near youth-centric areas such as colleges, institutes, and corporate offices.”

The campaign reached 8.8 million unique users on Spotify. The creative elements struck a chord with the audience, resulting in a 91% ad recall rate. In a Brand Lift Study conducted afterwards, listeners reported that they found the ads highly distinctive, entertaining and well-branded. Unaided brand awareness also increased by 8% and the campaign outperformed industry benchmarks for other key metrics including ad relevance and positive brand impact.

“At Spotify, we see firsthand how cultural moments, like the rise of K-pop, can be powerful tools for brands to connect authentically with their audiences. ITC Bingo’s campaign is a perfect example of how aligning with these moments can create not just awareness, but genuine brand love among listeners." says Sanketh Garimella, Director of Sales at Spotify.

“Music is one of the core brand levers for Bingo and if you want to make an impact through music, Spotify is the place to be.” Suresh Chand adds. “Spotify is a cool brand and so is Bingo—which offers the opportunity for high-potential collaborations in the future. We see this as just the start of a long-term partnership.”

One of the key takeaways from ITC Bingo’s collaboration with Spotify is the unparalleled power of music as a medium to reach younger audiences. As Gen Z continues to shape the cultural landscape, brands that can understand the pulse of this audience and connect with them in meaningful ways will see significant impact and stand out in a crowded space.