Indian cricket aficionados numbering millions who were watching the IPL live were already growing used to hearing the ‘Aaja mere circle mein aaja’ jingle during advertisements. But when Parle launched its new TV commercial, the audience as a whole went: “It’s time to stop!” So why was this biscuit commercial so offensive, and how did Parle succeed in tugging at the heartstrings of a young audience?

Parle Products, known for its legendary Parle-G biscuit that has been a staple in every household for years, chose to kick-start a new campaign during the IPL intervals. Their new campaign revolves around Parle Marie, an old-world biscuit which was once an unassuming snack for most people. The issue? Marie biscuits are old hat in a day and age where sophisticated snacks such as macarons and Crème Brûlée have taken center stage. They quietly sit in a dabba, typically munched on while determining what to make or order. But Parle’s aggressive promotion strategy was able to command notice in an unorthodox manner.

The Genius of the Campaign

The recurring jingle in the ad sounds something like this:

“Dena zara Marie!”
“Almari?”
“Arrey, Marie Marie!”
“Icchadhari? Kaun saans hamari?”
“Buri hai yeh bemaari.”
“Arrey, Parle Marie maang rahi hoon main!”
“Parle Marie? Toh aise boliye na!”

All time Worst add in television history?? are you guys agree?? #ParleMarie pic.twitter.com/hu9GyQZPrR

— Sujit Pawar (@SujitPa79285945) April 28, 2025

The message of the ad is straightforward: You can’t mention ‘Marie’ without mentioning ‘Parle Marie’. Whether partying, catching up, or shopping for groceries, the ad insists you need to mention ‘Parle’ to be heard. The campaign’s catchy and repetitive quality has planted ‘Parle Marie’ in people’s minds like never before.

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Viral Reactions and Social Media Frenzy

The campaign has had a mammoth impact, taking Parle Marie to Google Trends new levels. Nevertheless, the advert hasn’t gone unscathed either. On Twitter, a person wrote, “Forced by those horrid Parle Marie adverts, I wrote a little browser extension that auto-mutes some IPL advertisements on Hotstar. It actually performs very well and also silences Vimal, Kamla Pasand, My11, Pokerbaazi etc ads out of the box.” This feeling resonated on social media, as numerous viewers complained about the relentless airing of the ad during IPL intermissions.

Compelled by those atrocious Parle Marie ads, I wrote a tiny browser extension to auto mute certain IPL ads on Hotstar.

It actually works really well and also mutes Vimal, Kamla Pasand, My11, Pokerbaazi etc ads out of the box.

(link below) pic.twitter.com/ihwC8Xktbj

— pea bee (@prstb) May 1, 2025

In spite of the negative criticism from the audience, Parle’s senior management is optimistic about the success of their campaign. Mayank Shah, VP of Parle Products, informed Exchange4Media, “We are confident about our humorous campaign achieving top-of-mind recall.” The campaign has managed to keep ‘Parle Marie’ in the limelight of the public mind, even though the spotlight is not all positive.

History of Marie Biscuit

The Parle Marie ad campaign has also generated a bit of curiosity regarding the biscuit itself. Although most viewers believed Marie to be a Parle exclusive, the reality is that Marie biscuits existed long before Parle arrived on the scene. Composed of wheat flour, sugar, palm oil, and a touch of vanilla, Marie biscuits were founded in 1874. Initially named ‘Maria’, they were manufactured by Peek Freans Bakery to celebrate the wedding between Russia’s Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna and the Duke of Edinburgh. As tea-dipping biscuits, they became popular in Europe and also a sign of healing during post-civil war Spain.

While the commercial has come under fire from audiences, Parle’s campaign has managed to put ‘Parle Marie’ in the spotlight in a way that is both unexpected and humorous. Love it or hate it, this campaign has definitely met its objective of mass attention, and now it’s a subject of both talk and argumentation on social media.