Melody For Meloni: How India's Humble Toffee Got Its Iconic Tagline In 1983

Melody itni chocolatey kyun hai?
Melody khao, khud jaan jao.

Who knew that a Rs 1 toffee that 90s kids grew up relishing would one day be synonymous with strengthening diplomatic bonds between India and Italy? On Instagram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shared a fun exchange as India gifted Italy a packet of Melody.

"Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift - a very very good toffee," Prime Minister Meloni said.

"Melody," added Prime Minister Modi, and both broke into laughter.

Taking to Instagram, Parle shared the video and captioned it, "Sweetening relationships since 1983."

What was once a go-to pick for birthdays in schools has upgraded to a talking point in bilateral ties. Once the video of the prime ministers went viral, it led to a jump in Parle Industries' stock by 5%, from Rs 4.95 to Rs 5.25. However, people initially rushed to buy the wrong Parle shares. Parle Industries is an infra and real estate company, while Melody is manufactured by Parle Products, the Mumbai-based FMCG major behind Parle-G, Monaco, Hide & Seek, Mango Bite, and other popular brands.

In other news, Melody packets went out of stock on quick-commerce platforms like Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto. As the Internet went into a frenzy, social media users - especially those who grew up in the 90s - could not help but reiterate the famous tagline: "Melody itni chocolatey kyun hai? Melody khao, khud jaan jao."

Here is the story of how Melody got its famous tagline, which became a hallmark.

How Melody Got The Famous Tagline

The year was 1983 when the advertisement for Melody was conceptualised. The catchphrase? "Melody itni chocolatey kaise bani? Melody khao, khud jaan jao."

The tagline was the brainchild of copywriter Sulekha Bajpai of Everest Advertising and is a classic example of curiosity-driven copywriting. One of the early advertisements featured a trainer asking soldiers, "Melody itni chocolatey kaise bani?"

A young soldier replied, "Melody khao, khud jaan jao." It soon became a hallmark. As the years passed, the tagline remained the same, but the characters continued to change. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the candy, as well as its tagline, became pop-culture icons. The first line was slightly refined to: "Melody itni chocolatey kyun hai?"

Why It Worked

The reason why people in advertising continue to talk about this question-answer tagline is its curiosity hook. The whole point of advertising is to hit a chord with viewers and drive sales.

Melody's tagline made viewers, especially children, curious. It made them want to try it to find out why it was chocolatey. As the ad said, "Melody khao, khud jaan jao," kids as well as adults bought it, ate it, and kept coming back to it.

How Melody Took Over The Indian Market

While the campaign created around Melody was creative, the candy itself was a masterstroke by Parle. It created a new sub-category, sitting between hard sugar toffees and relatively expensive chocolates.

Melody was made in two parts - a cooked liquid caramel shell filled with a soft cocoa and milk-solid centre. The moment you bite into it, the centre hits the palate differently, answering the famous question: "Melody itni chocolatey kyun hai?"

What was striking about this toffee was the price. It delivered a premium experience while still hitting the price-sensitive sweet spot in the 1990s, when eating outside or buying candies was considered a luxury.

As the toffee reached small-town shops and roadside vendors, it quickly rose to fame and became synonymous with an affordable premium treat. Without any big celebrity names attached to it, the candy continues to remain a favourite among children and adults.

Now, the humble chocolate toffee has found global recognition - all thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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