Cinema enters the brand world
In the 1970s, Britannia became one of the first brands in India to tap into the power of cinema.
A 1976 Britannia ad portraying Sholay’s iconic antagonist Gabbar Singh’s love for Glucose-D biscuits marked one of the earliest instances where a fictional character—rather than the actor—was used as the face of a brand.
An unusual proposition
According to a Brand Equity article, Britannia wanted to position its Glucose biscuits as a favourite among kids, but faced stiff competition from Parle-G, which dominated the market. That’s when a creative team proposed the bold idea of featuring Gabbar Singh in an ad.
Though using a villain for a children’s product was unconventional, the makers believed in its appeal and approached Javed Akhtar and Ramesh Sippy for permission. To keep it authentic, they even brought in Samba (Vijay Khote) and Kalia (Mac Mohan).
Gabbar Singh: a kids' favourite!
Sunil Alagh, the then product manager of Britannia, recalls how Gabbar Singh and not the heroes had become an instant hit among the kids. With support from marketing director JB Singh and Javed Akhtar, who had co-written Sholay, to script the ad, Alagh took the finished script to advertising agency Lintas to bring the idea to life.
Amjad Khan stepped back into Gabbar Singh’s shoes as director Surendranath aimed to recreate the authentic Sholay feel. A rock quarry near Borivali was chosen as the location, and Khan squeezed the ad shoot into a tight three-hour window between his other commitments.
And so a trend begins
In the ad, Amjad Khan reprising his role as Gabbar Singh, is handed a bunch of biscuits. Displeased by the taste, he spits them out and theatrically shoots each biscuit thrown into the air—until one remains unbroken. That biscuit symbolized the superior quality of Britannia Glucose-D, making the ad both dramatic and unforgettable.
The ad had a massive impact, instantly boosting the visibility of Britannia’s Glucose biscuits. Amjad Khan was paid ₹40,000 for his role in the commercial—but in a generous gesture, he donated the entire amount to charity.
India, with over 100 million Gen Z consumers, is seeing a surge in brands tapping into film characters. From Goibibo’s ‘Geet’ revival, ACKO’s Munna Bhai-Circuit campaign, Rungta Steel’s use of ‘JJ’ from Rockstar to UPI Chalega’s Vasooli Bhai, advertisers are reimagining iconic roles to boost recall and relatability.
Fandom-driven advertising is now a full-fledged trend shaping brand storytelling in India.
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