Boman Irani and Neena Gupta Face Off in a New Mustard Oil Campaign

The latest advertising campaign launched by P Mark Mustard Oil, a leading brand of mustard oil, has two well-known celebrities adding more star power to the ad film: Boman Irani and Neena Gupta. The highly engaging film has been broadcast on a wide range of News and General Entertainment Channels and, accordingly to preliminary dipstick studies, has been received well.

Boman Irani has, of course, been associated with the brand for a very long time. For more than a decade, Boman has played a wide variety of roles in numerous campaigns for the brand; these include an enthusiastic departmental store shopper; a quirky tabla ustad; an out-of-control boxing coach; a bungling chef; and an incompetent language translator. This time around, Boman is joined by another acclaimed character actor, Neena Gupta who plays an irritable neighbour. After a series of skirmishes, the two characters bond over fond memories of their favourite dishes prepared using a mustard oil brand that has been around for generations.

Explaining the brand communication strategy underlying the ad, Vivek Puri, Managing Director, Puri Oil Mills Limited (the makers of P Mark Mustard Oil) said, “The idea for this ad actually came from our loyal customers – spanning generations – who have been using the brand for nine decades. Reaching out to these customers via research studies and focus group discussions, we often asked them what they liked about P Mark Mustard Oil. They unanimously felt that there was something special about the oil in terms of flavour, aroma and the overall dining experience; there was some indescribable quality that drew them back to the brand time and time again. They also admired the consistency in quality and purity that the brand had been delivering across the years. Echoing the feelings expressed by our customers, we developed the proposition for the new campaign – Kuch Tho Baat Hai Iss Tel Mein (there is something special about this oil).”

Umesh Verma, GM – Marketing and Communications at Puri Oil Mills Limited explains the casting decision of including Neena Gupta in the new campaign. He says: “As a brand, we are always trying to up the ante. We were the first mustard oil brand to venture into mainstream television advertising and also the first mustard oil brand to sign on a celebrity brand ambassador. We are always seeking to enhance the ‘Wow Factor’ for our customers. So this time around, we decided to add another celebrity alongside Mr Boman Irani. The choice of Ms Neena Gupta was a well thought out strategic decision based on multiple parameters. First of all, she suited the script that had been developed for the new ad film. Secondly, her recent roles in many popular OTT series have increased her fan following among young generation viewers who constitute an important customer segment for the brand. Moreover, she had recently co-starred with Mr Irani in the film Uunchai and they had paired really well.”

Speaking about his association with the company and the brand, Boman Irani said, “My association with the brand and my personal relationship with the owners go back many, many years. I admire the way in which the brand always stays off the beaten track. It doesn’t get into stereotypical edible oil advertising – it’s always different, innovative and path-breaking. As the brand ambassador, I am gratified by the variety of characters that I have had the opportunity to play over the years. It’s challenging, especially when one is representing such a vibrant brand.”

Echoing more or less the same sentiment, Neena Gupta said, “Working with this brand was a pleasant surprise. Since this was an edible oil ad, I had expected the standard cooking, serving, dining table and happy family kind of scenes. But the story was really offbeat – it pivots seamlessly from edgy squabbling to intense emotion in a matter of seconds. In doing so, the film gave me an opportunity to showcase diverse facets of my acting capabilities – that’s something one usually doesn’t expect from an ad film.”

Shot amidst the old world charm of Khoja Bungalow, a popular filmmakers’ location at Versova in Mumbai, the film is directed by Kayoze Irani. The Production Designers are Taanumanshyaa Bhanndari and Yohan Khatao. The DOP for the film was Satchith Paulose, a cinematographer known for his work in films like ‘Pathan’ (2023) and the much acclaimed short film ‘The School Bag’ (2017) which has won multiple international film festival awards.