On the front page of today’s Times of India, Britannia baked a bold message into the morning ritual of millions- extending a surprising olive branch to its long-standing rival, Parle.
Celebrating International Pride Month, Britannia’s full-page ad for Good Day biscuits took the form of a vibrant rainbow- a lineup of Cashew, Butter, Pista Badam, Chocolate, and Fruit and Nut variants arranged like flavours of equality, with one conspicuous space left empty.
“Dear Parle Monaco, this space is all yours,” read the message in the blank slot, an open invitation to co-create a joint “Pride Pack.” Positioned just above it, the headline drove the point home: “Dear Parle Monaco, if we can share a shelf, we can share a cause.”
With this gesture, Britannia called on its competitor to come together in allyship, inclusion, and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community, not just through advertising, but by literally sharing product space.
The campaign, built around the idea that “Pride is about sharing space,” has stirred a mix of admiration and analysis across the advertising and marketing world.
Some have applauded the creative leap and inclusive messaging, while others have called it a clever yet calculated move, questioning the creative balance and the potential brand risks involved, especially for Parle.
Alekhya Chakrabarty, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Unstop, shared the Britannia ad on LinkedIn, commenting, “Britannia Industries prepping for Cannes Lions 2026 already. A bit forced. Good attempt, nevertheless.”
Brand strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan also shared his thoughts on LinkedIn, pointing out the possible risks. He said it was a nice attempt by Britannia to bring Parle Monaco on board for a shared message. However, he noted that while Parle has a biscuit similar to Britannia’s Good Day, Britannia doesn’t have a Monaco equivalent. This, he suggested, could mean Parle has more to lose in terms of brand perception, even if they gain goodwill by agreeing.
Srinivasan also drew a comparison to Burger King’s 2015 proposal to McDonald’s to create a joint “McWhopper” for World Peace Day, an idea that McDonald’s declined. He added that in his agency experience, such cross-brand collaborations were often turned down due to strict brand guidelines.
Still, the question remains: Will Parle respond and join Britannia in what could become a memorable co-branded moment, or will this rainbow shelf remain one biscuit short?
