TVF and Cheil deliver a tech upgrade with Samsung’s new 5G phone

In our fast-paced world, with little time for leisure, many of us may not even know what it is. This could be one of the reasons why Phulera, the fictional village from Panchayat, strikes a chord with so many people who watched it.

Created by The Viral Fever (TVF), Panchayat is a comedy-drama set in rural India. Since its debut on Prime Video in 2020, it has released three seasons, becoming one of India’s most popular streamed series on the OTT platform.

From its soothing opening melody to unique Hindi words like Banrakas (forest monster) and the respectful titles like “Sachiv Ji” and “Pradhan Ji,” Panchayat offers a glimpse into the way of life in rural India.

Building on this connection, Samsung partnered with Cheil India to launch the Galaxy A16 5G phone in an unconventional way—by turning to the characters of Panchayat.

“Out of all the novel ideas that came up, the one that got us all really pumped was adding the ‘desi tadka’ to the typical smartphone launches. That seed of an idea led us to the hugely popular and highly relatable world of Phulera and its beloved characters,” says Kaushik Datta, executive creative director of Cheil India.

The ads capture everyday moments in Phulera, featuring characters like Prahlad (Faisal Malik), Vikas (Chandan Roy), Bhushan (Durgesh Kumar), and Binod (Ashok Pathak), with the Galaxy A16 5G becoming the talk of the village. To keep the crossover authentic, Cheil India collaborated with TVF, the creators of Panchayat.

"We were certain that the brand needed to blend seamlessly into the stories. That’s where TVF’s talented team came in. They welcomed Galaxy A into the beautiful universe of Phulera and let us borrow their characters for a memorable crossover,” Datta explains. 

The focus was to let the story shine without overshadowing it with branding. Whether it’s Prahlad Cha experiencing a smartphone for the first time or a hilarious conversation about their mutual dislike for soan papdi (Yes, another brand targeting poor soan papdi), the ads incorporate the show’s charm while highlighting the Galaxy A16’s features.

“The phone is just an extension of our daily lives, fortunately. So, having a story with the phone at its heart turned out to be seamless, without compromising on the trademark humour and nostalgic callbacks,” adds Datta.

The campaign also strategically chose supporting characters instead of the main cast, aiming for relatability. For instance, the viral ‘Dekh raha hai Binod’ meme features Bhushan and Binod.

Datta elaborates, “We realised whose jugalbandi would work best. Pairing up Banrakas and Binod for meme-worthy banter, and Vikas and Prahlad Cha for their heartwarming connection—the stories almost wrote themselves.”

For those unfamiliar with the series, Datta believes the ads’ quirky and relatable characters will still resonate. Even if someone hasn't watched the show, they've likely encountered the memes (thanks to the algorithm). “And if not, the beauty of such characters and phone-led stories is that their relatability and charm stand on their own.”

Priced at Rs 18,999, the Galaxy A16 5G is available on Amazon, Flipkart, Samsung’s website, and retail outlets. With this campaign, Samsung aims to connect with Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns across India.

As Bhushan quips in one of the ads, “Itna hi badhiya phone hai na toh ek tho humare liye bhi mangwado” (If it’s such a fantastic phone, order one for me too).

"The entire concept aimed to connect with the general public and gain their acceptance,” says Datta.

This isn’t the first time brands have leveraged Panchayat. Last year, TVF created a 14-minute-long film titled Gajjab Bejjati Hai for those missing the insights from Phulera. 

The video shows Prahlad and Vikas welcoming the village’s Damad Ji (Aasif Khan) while seamlessly promoting Vikas’s new Bajaj Platina 110 cc bike. Similarly, Tata Motors onboarded Faisal Malik (Prahlad) and Chandan Roy (Vikas) for a road trip campaign to highlight the features of its Prima range of trucks.

For fans of Panchayat, there’s more good news—Prime Video has officially begun filming for the fourth season. The original cast, including Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, and Neena Gupta, will return, and don’t worry— lauki will be there too.