Marketing in the Margins: How Brands Slipped Into My Week

Hey marketers, welcome back.

Not every campaign is a blockbuster.
Sometimes, the smartest marketing shows up in the smallest places.

This past week, I saw it everywhere.
A grocery delivery. A movie break. A festival freebie. Even a delivery box that turned into a scroll.

Let’s unpack how brands are making everyday moments unforgettable.

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Zepto x Jio Hotstar: Freedom in a QR Code

On Independence Day, I ordered from Zepto and found a flyer inside the bag.

It had a QR code with a simple line:
“Scan to watch everything for free on Jio Hotstar this August 15th. Freedom has a new meaning.”

No celebrity faces. No glossy ads. Just a flyer timed to perfection.

And here’s the kicker: the QR scan worked instantly, dropping me right inside Jio Hotstar’s world. A perfect mix of relevance, timing, and ease.

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PVR x Movie Jockey: AI at the Movies

At PVR, during the interval, an ad popped up.

“Want to order your food without leaving your seat? Say hi to our Movie Jockey, MJ, your 24x7 virtual assistant.”

One WhatsApp message and an AI-powered assistant takes your order, available in six languages.

This wasn’t just popcorn ordering. It was AI turning an ad into a service. Smooth, personal, and frictionless. And it means people are more likely to order because the hassle is gone.

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Amul x Zepto: The Janmashtami Butter Drop

During Janmashtami, Amul slipped a surprise into Zepto orders. A free butter block with a note inside:

“Makhan chor got here before you. Delivered in 10 minutes, gone in seconds.”

It wasn’t just about butter. It was Amul tying its heritage to culture, humor, and a festival moment.

The result? People don’t just use the butter. They talk about it, post it, and remember the brand the next time they shop. Watch it Here!

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Noice x Swiggy Instamart: The Pull-Out Surprise

Then came the Instamart delivery with a twist. A box from Noice that said “pull me.”

You tugged the tab and out rolled a long, playful sheet listing everything they sell.

It wasn’t a sales pitch. It was fun, interactive, and impossible to ignore. That single pull turned into minutes of brand engagement. Try getting that much attention from a digital ad. Watch it Here!

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Why This Works

All of these campaigns have a few things in common:

• Contextual timing: Festivals, movie breaks, national holidays

• Everyday integration: Groceries, butter, popcorn, or delivery boxes

• Element of surprise: A freebie, a pull-out sheet, a QR code where you least expect it

• Low cost, high shareability: These aren’t expensive TVCs (TV Commercial), but they get talked about because they feel clever

According to Deloitte’s 2024 Consumer Trends Report, 68 percent of Indian Gen Z say they love brands that add value in unexpected places rather than just pushing ads online.

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The Bigger Impact

This kind of marketing goes beyond recall. It drives action.

• Sales lift: Freebies like Amul’s butter or Noice’s creative inserts nudge trial and future purchase

• Habit building: AI-driven ordering at PVR trains you to rely on WhatsApp for food

• Cultural relevance: QR codes tied to Independence Day or Janmashtami make the brand part of a moment people already care about

• Organic buzz: People don’t just experience these campaigns, they share them

I actually discovered the Amul butter drop and the Noice pull-out through reels that went viral on Instagram. Someone filmed themselves opening the butter box. Someone pulled the tab from the Noice delivery. Both clips blew up because they were visual, witty, and surprising.

That’s the hidden multiplier here. A campaign that starts in a grocery bag or delivery box can end up reaching millions once it hits reels. The shareability makes small activations blow up far bigger than their budgets.

It shows that marketing doesn’t always need scale. Sometimes, it’s the sharpness of the idea and its timing that creates both emotional impact and measurable sales results.

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Final Thought: Marketing in the Margins

Zepto flyers, PVR screens, butter boxes, Instamart deliveries.
These aren’t billboards. They are brand cameos in everyday life.

And sometimes, those little cameos do more for recall and revenue than the biggest campaigns.

Until next time, keep watching the brands that don’t just show up on screens, but sneak into your routines.

- MK