Experience Commerce, a leading full-service digital agency and part of the Cheil SWA group, has won big at the Afaqs! Marketer’s Excellence Awards 2025. The agency’s Valentine’s Day campaign for Parle Kismi, #SayItWithKismi - clinched Silver for Best Use of User-Generated Content and Bronze for Best Use of a Topical Event, celebrating its standout performance in a highly cluttered digital environment.
While Valentine’s Day typically sees an overload of branded love stories, #SayItWithKismi broke through the noise by putting consumers at the heart of the narrative. Rooted in the brand’s nostalgic tagline “Har Kismi mein hai Kiss,” the 15-day campaign encouraged people to express love in two engaging ways: a quirky tongue twister challenge, and a story-sharing contest where real-life memories were brought to life as AI-generated visuals. The result was a surge of organic participation—thousands of user stories brimming with affection, humour, and sentiment, turning the campaign into a digital celebration of authentic connection.
Mayank Shah, Vice President, Parle Products, said, "At Parle, we believe that the strongest consumer connections are built not just through products, but through shared stories and emotions. With #SayItWithKismi, we tapped into the nostalgia that defines Kismi, and gave it a fresh, participatory spin fit for today’s social-first audience. The campaign’s success lies in its ability to spark genuine expression and turn consumers into storytellers. It’s exciting to see a legacy brand like Kismi evolve with cultural relevance and emotional authenticity, and this recognition from afaqs! reaffirms the power of co-creation in modern brand building."
“Kismi is a brand rooted in nostalgia, but to connect with today’s audience, we needed to rethink how that emotion is expressed in the digital age,” said Virindersingh Vilkhoo, Executive Creative Director, Experience Commerce. “Instead of polished ads, we designed playful, lo-fi format engaging content that gave people space to co-create—be it through tongue twisters, or real-life stories that we could convert to AI-generated love notes. The magic was in how seamlessly the audience took ownership of the campaign. That’s when you know the idea has truly landed, when it no longer feels like a campaign, but a conversation.”
“Personally, I’ve always had a soft spot for Parle Kismi, so leading this campaign was extra special. The entire team was super excited to work on it, and these awards are a sweet bonus to the fun we had building it.”
“This recognition reaffirms our belief in the power of authentic, community-led storytelling,” added Bhawana Daga, Vice President – Growth, Experience Commerce. “#SayItWithKismi was designed to tap into genuine emotion and everyday voices, placing real people at the heart of the campaign. In a highly cluttered digital environment, it’s this kind of meaningful engagement that stands out and builds lasting brand affinity. We’re proud to see the approach resonate so strongly, and the team was confident from the outset that the campaign would strike a chord and bring home accolades.”
The final campaign film, released on Valentine’s Day, featured a montage of these user entries, turning Parle Kismi’s social feed into a living archive of first kisses, missed chances, and sweet nostalgia.
Watch it on Parle Candy Culture’s Instagram handle.
As the digital agency of record for Parle Candy Culture, Experience Commerce leads the brand’s content and media strategy, blending legacy with modern storytelling. #SayItWithKismi is part of a larger push to engage newer audiences while honouring Parle’s iconic confectionery heritage.
With over 17 years in digital marketing, the agency is known for crafting culturally relevant, insight-led campaigns that drive real connection and results. This recognition underscores its continued commitment to pushing creative and strategic boundaries for some of India’s most beloved brands.
Experience Commerce: Crafting Experiences. Empowering Brands.
About Parle:
Since 1929, Parle has grown to become India's leading manufacturer of biscuits, snacks and confectionery. As the makers of the world's largest selling biscuit, Parle-G, and a host of other very popular brands, the Parle name symbolizes quality, nutrition and superior taste.
An in-depth understanding of the Indian consumer psyche has helped Parle develop a marketing philosophy that reflects the needs of the Indian masses. It has made it a tradition to deliver both health and taste, with a value-for-money positioning that allows people from all classes and age groups to enjoy Parle products to the fullest.
With a reach spanning the remotest villages of India and major cities across the world, the House of Parle has become synonymous with trust, globally.
Website: http://www.parleproducts.com/
