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.

— Source publishedThu, 21 May, 2026, 10:51 IST·First seen Thu, 21 May, 2026, 11:07 IST·Source Business Today · Latest

What happened

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,

Key facts

  • 100 million views
  • 4 flights per week

Why this matters

The pile-on by Air India, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, MobiKwik, DTDC and India Post signals a maturing topical-marketing ecosystem—worth scoping partnerships or co-branded SKUs with Parle while the Melody halo is hot.