“Darr ke aage jeet hai” makes Hrithik Roshan ride his bike off a mountain wall

It’s the latest ad from Mountain Dew, which is nearing two decades of existence in India.

“Darr ke aage jeet hai” is the kind of motivational quote that you’d expect to find on Instagram. And, it is also the kind of quote that would garner thousands of likes.

The quote is one of Indian adland’s most iconic ones. It was made for PepsiCo’s citrus drink Mountain Dew. The beverage made its India debut in 2003, and is associated with being daring and adventurous.

In its latest ad, we see actor Hrithik Roshan beat his competitors in a biking race across mountainous terrain. Only this time, the voice-over remarks, “Darr haisiyat nahi, himmat dekhta hai” before the actor utters the iconic catchphrase.

Vineet Sharma, category director - Mountain Dew and Sting, PepsiCo India, said, “With our ‘Darr ke aage jeet hai’ philosophy, Mountain Dew has always celebrated the spirit of those who push themselves in the face of fear to achieve extraordinary results.”

“In 2021, the brand acknowledges that real heroes are those who take challenges head-on, irrespective of what their background/status is. We are confident that the ‘Darr haisiyat nahi, himmat dekhta hai’ narrative will strike a chord with our consumers as it encourages them to overcome their fear and move ahead on the path to victory.”

In February this year, PepsiCo India introduced Mountain Dew Ice - a lemon juice-based beverage, and a month later, released its first campaign.

Mountain Dew signed Roshan as its brand ambassador in 2013. But he was not its first brand ambassador. Actor Salman Khan became the beverage’s first brand ambassador in 2010.

Despite the nearly two decades of the brand’s presence in India, most people remember its first few ads for being iconic.

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