MS Dhoni has clearly strengthened Oreo's brand equity: Nitin Saini, Mondelez India

To ward off any jinxes that could hurt India's prospects of winning the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Oreo India have reunited for yet another campaign.

Centred on an old wives' tale from India of "nazar," the ad shows Dhoni walking into a sports newsroom and instructing the panel to not discuss India and the World Cup since talking can bring bad luck. He offers them Oreos and leaves the newsroom, leaving the anchors convinced yet somewhat perplexed. 

Oreo and the cricketing great collaborated last year on the #BringBack2011 campaign, which struck a chord with cricket fans. This year, the duo is back with "Oreo bola mat bol" (Oreo says, "don't speak"), a concerted effort to silence a billion cricket-crazy fans to ward off "buri nazar" and 

We reached out to the brand to learn more about the thought behind this creative piece. Nitin Saini, Vice President- Marketing, Mondelez India spoke to us about the campaign and the brand’s objective on the same. He said, “MS Dhoni is renowned not only for his role as our World Cup-winning captain but also for his candour and visionary leadership qualities, which command the respect of billions of fans and is aligned with our brand’s personality to say the right things but playfully. Therefore, we believe there is no one better than Mahi, loved and revered by many, to champion our unconventional take on the cricket frenzy. And our association over the years with MSD has clearly strengthened the brand equity.”

Sharing his learnings from last year’s campaign, Saini said, “Last year, Oreo shared its cricket-loving ethos, and in collaboration with MSD re-introduced Oreo with the aim of contributing to India's victory by reinstating everything related to the winning year 2011, including Dhoni’s signature hairstyle, and extending the stereotype to bringing back Oreo which was launched in 2011 as well. However, it seems we might have spoken prematurely and missed the mark.”

“In a nation gripped by cricket fever, we all have our deep-rooted and genuine rituals, particularly the superstition that we must not speak about the opportunity and maintain silence until it materializes to ward off any unfortunate outcome. Hence, this year, in another partnership with MSD, Oreo is encouraging the entire nation to ‘not say a word’, ‘not jinx it’, till we get what we really want – the World Cup - with their mantra ‘Oreo Bola Mat Bol’.”

Speaking about the concept of "nazar" that is central to the campaign, Saini said, “Superstition pervades Indian culture, ingrained as a subtle yet undeniable element even for those who may not personally endorse it. This cultural nuance holds particular significance within the realm of sports and cricket. As ardent fans, each of us adheres to deeply rooted and meaningful rituals, often approaching them with the utmost seriousness. However, Oreo believes in breaking the seriousness of adulthood and has therefore embarked on a light-hearted counter-narrative, drawing from a prevailing cultural belief in India that cautions against jinxing positive outcomes through excessive discussion or deductions. Hence, our campaign bears the title ‘Oreo Bola Mat Bol’, embodying this concept which was a natural succession to our last year’s effort.”

The World Cup is one of the largest media vehicles for brands to create a global presence. With the opening match gaining a viewership of up to 2.5 crores people, it’s a great channel to reach a massive audience. We asked Saini to tell us how is it helping a brand which comes into a niche category. He said, “The World Cup stands as the paramount event within our nation, a time when consumption reaches its zenith. Given cricket's enduring status as the most followed Indian sport, it presents a unique opportunity to craft a campaign that can captivate our consumers and tap yet another snacking occasion amongst Indians. In collaboration with Dhoni, we launched this campaign and disrupted a curated live cricket news show, momentarily diverting the discussion away from India's prospects in the tournament, playfully.” 

“Following this impactful launch, we secured the foremost digital position on YouTube's Mast Head, garnering over 6 million views within a mere three hours of airing, coupled with remarkably high positive consumer engagement. Continuing to deliver impact with scale, our presence will be on Digital which has become nearly as big as television with the flexibility it offers and the evolving viewing experience.”