Biscuits are an exciting category to advertise for – just like any other ‘snacky’ kind of category. There are so many different kinds – so many different reasons to buy! From health, to smartness, to affection for kids, to resolving domestic fights, or just getting popular with women – the possible pitch to consumers could be absolutely anything!

Perhaps the category is so basic in its ‘demand’ that it’s all about occupying mind space with your consumers – so they get interested, try the product, find it worthwhile, are reminded of the product consistently (to ensure they don’t switch – biscuits are such impulsive purchases!) and then hopefully become loyal. Continuous product innovation to keep the customer satisfied, and meet their needs to experiment with their taste buds must be critical with biscuits one would think. (Though the popularity of Parle-G over decades speaks otherwise about how much of a change customers need!)

Here’s one of the oldest Parle G ads I can remember – the dadaji one…all about loyalty, trust, what elders choose, and kids love.

How life has changed! From the variety in biscuits, to the promises they mak, to the needs they fulfill – biscuit advertising is full of surprises! Look at a modern day Parle G ad :

So now it is about being a genius, and succeeding in a competitive school environment! Is this an attempt to romanticize what this biscuit does for the consumer? Because at the end of the day Parle G is just a wonderful, familiar and timeless taste for any one!  Is this ‘image enhancement’ to a ‘smarter biscuit’ essential to get the brand the acceptance it needs? Perhaps. 

Some of the most ridiculous commercials – unconnected with the product – come for biscuits. Here are 2 : SRK and Dia Mirza making up over Sunfeast biscuits, and Aamir the Clever with a Monaco in hand!

Both catch attention and perhaps that's all these commercials are meant to do. Celebrity presence in biscuit ads seems senseless on one hand, but the simplest way to stand out on the other. Look at the Milano product launch with Hrithik. Gives a premium-ness to the product with an Italian aura; memorable because of Hrithik’s Greek God looks and the attempted sensuality and indulgence. 

Many other brands also just use star power to make a mark – take the Marie-Kajol association. There is no real product promise to build on with the celebrity presence. Makes you wonder if these products are planned to be in the market for long at all, or are just short-term attention seekers. 

The approach across most of these seems to be grabbing attention at whatever cost – an expensive celebrity, a completely disconnected storyline, a crazy product promise or just stylish presentation. Very few biscuit companies today have ‘strong ‘brands’ to speak of. Parle G continues to be strong because of its lineage, but just might be confusing the customer by moving away from its ‘staple biscuit’ platform to the ‘become a genius’ promise. A brand needs to evolve and change with times; but with an already strong brand equity like Parle G, perhaps building up from the existing history may have worked better. Parle G is everyone’s favourite – what's wrong with that proposition even in today’s age?

Britannia’s Good Day is perhaps the only brand that has steadily grown in consumer mind space in recent times. Look at this commercial :

In some ways Good Day has become more synonymous with ‘biscuits’ in the country than any brand can in the category. A simple promise of a ‘good day’ consistently driven home. 

Biscuit ads will always be a fascinating watch! But even if they are currently doing nothing to build the brands they are made for, perhaps advertisers can provide more entertaining commercials to catch our attention and justify the stars’ presence?