During the session, ‘All About Ads: The Hook Between Attention, Emotion and Recall’, the moderator asked Mayank Shah, CMO, Parle Products, about the recent social media frenzy around Melody chocolates after Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a video featuring Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The buzz erupted on 20 May, coinciding with the opening day of the festival, as social media users linked the viral Modi-Meloni camaraderie with the popular “Melody itni chocolaty kyun hai?” brand recall. Netizens amplified the moment further by associating the duo with the chocolate brand, creating a wave of organic chatter and memes online.

Responding to the phenomenon, Shah acknowledged that the brand was quick to recognise the opportunity.

“It's a great opportunity that we have got, and we need to build on it,” he said.

Shah admitted that the virality was not a pre-planned campaign but an unexpected cultural moment that organically benefited the brand.

“This social media video is something accidental. But once a brand gets an opportunity like this, they need to build on it. Marketers can’t just let the moment pass,” he added.

He further revealed that Parle had already begun activating digital initiatives around the buzz, with more plans expected to follow.

“We already started with digital initiation, and then we’ll make a larger plan around it. Some things can start immediately from a PR and visibility perspective, while other things will follow,” Shah noted.

Drawing parallels to successful moment marketing globally, Shah stressed that brands must act swiftly when cultural conversations align naturally with their identity.

Shah added, “Everyone thought this was a PR plug-in. But for us, it was a divine intervention.”

The impromptu discussion perfectly tied back to the panel’s broader theme of how brands capture attention and convert fleeting cultural moments into lasting recall.

More on that later in our session coverage online and in print.