Ayushmann Khurrana catches 'The Ultimate Break’ with Kit Kat and Netflix

Netflix and KitKat have launched a new collaboration centred around the theme of “breaks.” This partnership allows fans to scan a QR code on the all-new KitKat packaging and be transported into the Netflix world.

During the programme period, participants can buy the 38.5g or 57g Kit Kat variants and scan the QR code to access The Ultimate Break website, where they stand a chance to win KitKat x Netflix merchandise. Each mobile number is eligible for a maximum of one prize, and one hundred winners will be selected randomly every day.

They can also design their own Ultimate Custom Poster, creating versions of posters of popular Netflix shows by uploading their photographs.

The programme is valid only in India from June 1 - June 30, 2024.

To promote this collaboration, an ad film featuring KitKat’s brand ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana was released. In the ad, Khurrana is depicted sitting on a movie set, feeling fatigued by the repetitive nature of scripts similar to his previous hits like Dream Girl and Shubh Mangal Savdhaan. He is yearning for a break from these roles.

Suyash Barve, executive creative director at Manja—the agency behind the campaign—explains that the ad is a perfect blend of both brands. "It’s not a Netflix ad and it’s not a KitKat ad. It's 50:50. That was the idea behind the partnership. While many partnerships are restricted to packaging, this one translates into a film as well."

Barve reveals that it was Netflix that came to the agency seeking a film to build on past partnerships like the one with The Archies and Starbucks. He says the challenge was to seamlessly blend KitKat's long-standing association with ‘breaks’ and Netflix’s reputation as a go-to break destination. He states that the partnership between the brands was already established when Netflix approached the agency.

"These two brands have really owned the term ‘breaks’ in two very different ways. The challenge was how to bring them together. I think that was the core of the brief," he says.

He further adds that they specifically chose Khurrana for the film because he's already the brand ambassador for KitKat. “He can kind of carry that story forward and become more of a visual mascot for KitKat in the Netflix world as well.”

The creation of the ad involved a unique process, according to Barve. "Unlike most projects where you write the script and then shoot it, we first had to select scenes from Netflix shows and movies, then write the script. We reviewed around 70 to 80 scenes before settling on the final four or five."

He says this collaboration showcases the blending of the worlds of KitKat and Netflix to offer consumers a truly immersive experience.