Parle’s revamped Krackjack campaign eyes Gen Z with new 'Krack and Jack' avatars

The brand has revisited its vintage sweet and salty duality, previously played by Boman Irani and Vijay Kadam. The brand’s Sr. category head tells us why.

In a move that combines the charm of yesteryears with the fresh vigour of contemporary marketing, biscuit brand Parle has revived its classic “Krack and Jack" advertisement, featuring a sweet and salty duo in Dharmesh Yelande’s Krack and Raghav Juval’s Jack.

The signature communication employed by the brand in the commercials that first introduced the two avatars was that of two distinguished perspectives coming together. Previously played by Boman Irani and Vijay Kadam, the brand released a series of Krack and Jack commercials, last seen in the 90s.

In 2009, the brand recreated Krack and Jack, portrayed by Swapnil Joshi and Gaurav Gera, respectively. Swapnil Joshi's embodiment of Krack as a sweet, comic character provided a contrast to Gaurav Gera's portrayal of Jack, a mischievous figure. 

The stage is now set for a new generation of aficionados to revisit the banter between the celebrities Yelande and Juyal. The collaboration of sweet and salty perspectives is poised to bring alive the notion that "Sweet and Salty saath jab aaye, baat ban jaaye".

Now, in a return to its roots, Parle Krackjack has launched three commercials, each showcasing the chemistry between Yelande's Krack and Juyal's Jack. The revamped campaign attempts to evoke nostalgia among loyal fans while piquing the interest of a new generation of consumers. The films have been created by Thought Blurb Communications.

Mayank Shah, who is the senior category head, Parle Products, highlights that since Krackjack’s inception, the emphasis has always been on its distinct salt and sweet duality. The need for the two advertising characters stemmed from building awareness about the brand proposition.

He says, “Since we first started, with Boman Irani and Vijay Kadam, the highlight of our communication has been to build awareness about the sweet and salty character of the product. As generations passed, the association with the brand ambassadors changed. So, by 2015 we had also introduced two new ambassadors as Krack and Jack.”

However, with Gen Z coming of age, the brand is now rehashing its old lore, to woo new consumers. Shah elaborates, “The millennials and Gen Z today associate with celebrities differently. We’ve now introduced two new brand ambassadors.”

Speaking on the choice of celebrities, Vinod Kunj, chief creative officer, Thought Blurb Communications, points out that the popularity and relevance of the two ambassadors made the choice sensible. He says, “The kind of personalities both Dharmesh and Raghav exhibit complement Krack and Jack.”

With the kind of portfolio held by Parle, the element of humour seems to weave all the products together in advertisements. What stands out for Krackjack?

Kunj explains, “Humour is a wide emotion. All Parle products such as 20-20, Monaco, or even some of Parle’s toffees straddle various types of humour. With Krackjack, the humour is over the top. It also effectively breaks down the product into simple sweet and salty undertones.”

The media mix for the new campaign is going to see a bit of both traditional and digital exposure. Shah expounds, “We have big plans for Krack and Jack across mediums. We’ve started with TV, but we’re also focusing on digital since it is a much better medium to reach young adults whom we are targeting. We’re also looking at print and outdoors as well.”

The brand is also planning to introduce online renditions of Krack and Jack with the help of AI, for the campaign. Kunj reveals, “We are experimenting with some AI forms to begin with. We’re using conversational media such as Twitter and Instagram, hoping to add our sweet and salty takes on topical discussions.”

As per Shah, Parle introduced the sweet and salty crackers category in 1973. The product registered so well with the consumers, that the brand struggled to meet the demand. “Last year, we celebrated 50 years. And in those 50 years, we’ve reached every nook and corner of India. When we started this category, other brands were sceptical. But in the following years, many brands tried to get into the category and emulate us.”

The brand currently holds a market share of more than 50 percent in the category, as per Shah. And as is the struggle with most snacking brands, the competition from local vendors and brands is gaining ground. But, Shah opines that it isn’t a worry for Krackjack, since the manufacturing skill required to craft the product, at the generic price point, isn’t easy.

“While the competition from local brands is true for biscuits, it isn’t the case with crackers. Making crackers requires a very different kind of skillset. They are light in nature, which makes it very difficult for local bakeries. You can’t make it in a regular oven. There are other commercial aspects, which is why they desist from entering this category.”

Krackjack has also added two other flavours in the category including Jeera, Butter Masala, in the past three years.

In terms of sales, the brand sees nearly 65-70% of its revenue coming from smaller packs, sold at Rs 5 or Rs 10. The price point of the product, as per Shah, plays a pivotal role in determining the consumer purchase. 

“One of the reasons why the products are well penetrated is the price point. People normally want smaller sizes which are convenient in pockets. Especially now, when Rs 5 is getting challenging, Rs 10 appears to be dominant in our sales.”