Sanjay Manjrekar fronts Saffola Masala Oats' new campaign

Saffola Masala Oats, from Marico, has launched a new campaign targeting younger audiences during the cricket season. The campaign features cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, who references his controversial past in a humourous take that ties into the product’s spicy flavour profile.

The brand is shifting its focus from purely health-based messaging to a more playful and culturally relevant tone. This move aligns with changing consumer preferences for snacks that offer both taste and nutritional value.

The campaign marks a strategic pivot, aimed at making Saffola Masala Oats more relatable to young professionals, millennials, and Gen Z. By using nostalgia and humour, the brand continues to engage a wider audience while reinforcing its position in the growing "better-for-you" snack category.

The ad film, created by Mullen Lintas with support from Social Panga and Madison Communications, is set in a podcast-style studio. It features an interviewer confronting Sanjay Manjrekar about his past commentary, referencing phrases like “bits and pieces player” and “not having the range.” Manjrekar, seen eating a masala chakli, replies, “Eh… thoda masala toh chahiye na!”

The interviewer then slides over a bowl of Saffola Masala Oats and says, “Sir, masala chahiye toh yeh lo.” Manjrekar, surprised, takes the bowl and looks at the interviewer. The film ends with him eating the oats silently as the brand message appears: “Saffola Masala Oats – Dil ko na kar mana!”

Speaking on the campaign, Ashish Goupal, chief executive officer – India core business, Marico, said, “Saffola has always stood for smart choices—products that are nutritious, convenient, and great-tasting. Over the last year, we’ve evolved our brand storytelling to resonate more deeply with younger audiences. The cricket campaign is a significant step in this journey—combining humour, nostalgia, and relatability with a message that snacking can be both nutritiously convenient and genuinely enjoyable. Sanjay Manjrekar brings the perfect blend of edge and familiarity to drive home this idea.”  He adds, “We are also seeing growing consumer acceptance of oats in India—not just as a breakfast option, but increasingly as a savoury, anytime snack. As a category leader, we are committed to shaping this evolving snacking culture—offering exciting formats and bold flavours that meet the expectations of today’s health-conscious yet taste-loving consumer.”

Talking about the creative thought process behind the campaign, Ram Cobain, chief creative officer, Mullen Lintas, said, “What’s cricket without a spicy take by Sanjay Manjrekar? Last year, we used Manjrekar’s famous (or rather infamous) ‘Behave’ remark as the central idea for the film. For this year’s IPL, we’ve used not one, but half a dozen of his ‘masaledar’ comments from the past, to cook up a fun banter between him and an interviewer. And smoothly slid a bowl of Saffola Masala Oats as a cheeky, socially-palatable alternative.”

Sharing their experience of working on the campaign, Ketki Karandikar, creative head, Social Panga Mumbai, shared, “When it comes to exciting and flavourful experiences, Sanjay Manjrekar's unfiltered opinions on cricket find the perfect match in Saffola Masala Oats. We crafted bite-sized, snackable content tailored for social media platforms and paired it with sharp quick commerce collaborations. The result? A seamless journey from screen to spoon, ensuring the masala flavour wasn’t just talked about, but tasted in real-time.”

Reflecting on the strategy of tapping into India's cricket frenzy, Jolene Fernandes Solanki, COO of Madison Media Ultra, shared “Consistency is key to brand building, two years in a row now, we've hit a six with cricket fans! Our continued partnership with cricket events and having associated with Sanjay Manjrekar has not only driven engagement but also reinforced Saffola Masala Oats as a anytime snacking meal”

Whether at home or on the move, Saffola is redefining the snacking game—one masaledar bowl at a time. The campaign will be broadcasted on JioHotstar and will be rolled out across digital platforms.