Parle Melody rides Modi-Meloni viral moment as brands pile on with meme marketing

PM Modi gifting Parle Melody toffees to Italy's Meloni triggered a 100M+ view viral wave, with Air India, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, MobiKwik, DTDC and India Post jumping in with topical creatives. Toffee reportedly sold out on quick-commerce, handing Parle a windfall of organic reach.

— Filed Thu, 21 May, 2026, 11:09 IST · Source Business Today · Latest · Updated

PM Modi's gift of Parle Melody toffees to Italian PM Meloni went viral with 100M+ views, prompting Indian brands including Air India, Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto, MobiKwik and DTDC to launch meme-driven marketing campaigns; toffee sold out on quick-commerce platforms.

Why this matters

Builds on prior signals showing Melody selling out on quick-commerce after the Modi-Meloni gift, and aligns with Parle's broader toffee export surge of 166% over the decade.

Retail-brand activity steady at 445 signals in the last 90 days.