When Shaktimaan helped Parle-G defeat Britannia’s Milk Bikis in Tamil Nadu

In the late 1990s, Shaktimaan was more than just a TV superhero. Played by actor Mukesh Khanna, Shaktimaan was India’s first homegrown superhero, embodying strength, goodness and the triumph of justice. The show, which aired from 1997 to 2005, became an instant hit with kids across the country. Every Sunday morning, millions of children would glue themselves to their TVs to watch their favourite hero defeat villains and uphold values.

Around the same time, Parle-G, the glucose biscuit brand, was struggling to find its footing in Tamil Nadu. Despite its nationwide popularity, the southern market was dominated by Britannia’s Milk Bikis, which had a strong local connect and loyal customer base. Though Parle-G invested in advertising or pricing strategies, their sales averaged around 50 tonnes a month in the region.

Parle needed a sort of miracle. And that’s when they turned to the superhero: Shaktimaan.

Mukesh Khanna was already the brand ambassador for Parle-G at the time. Leveraging his immense popularity among children, Parle decided to organise a mega experiential marketing event in Chennai: Meet Shaktimaan live! The entry ticket? Just two empty Parle-G wrappers. The biscuit brand did a few promotions in schools and ran newspaper ads.

Expecting a modest crowd of a few thousand kids, the organisers were in for the shock of their lives. On the day of the event, over 1,00,000 children and parents thronged the stadium to catch a glimpse of thier favourite superhero. The event turned out to be experiential marketing at its finest. 

The next day, newspapers across Tamil Nadu were filled with headlines celebrating both Shaktimaan and Parle-G.

And the results were nothing short of spectacular. Within months, Parle-G’s sales in Tamil Nadu skyrocketed from 50 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes per month. A brand that was once struggling had become a household name, all thanks to a superhero and a brilliantly executed campaign.

The story recently came to our notice as it was shared on LinkedIn by Jayagopi Andhoor, a seasoned marketing professional who specialises in brand strategy and storytelling. 

As Andhoor added, "Great marketing isn’t always about budgets. It’s about understanding your audience, aligning with their emotions, and creating stories they’ll never forget. Even decades later, the Parle-G x Shaktimaan campaign remains one of India’s most brilliant brand plays."