On June 23, 2025, the Indian advertising world witnessed a colorful makeover that left everyone in a tizzy. India’s most beloved biscuit brand, Britannia, caught eyeballs on The Times of India’s front page. This is the vibrant Pride Month ad encouraging an idea of unity. Their Good Day biscuits, inside the rainbow-like pack dubbed “Flavors of Equality,” stole the show. But the real jaw-dropper that comes from the shelf is a heartfelt invite to their longtime rival, Parle Monaco. It had a straightforward message, “Dear Parle Monaco, this place is yours”.

This was not a regular biscuit campaign, it was a loud invitation to ally, an appeal to Parle to get onto the same shelf and raise their voices in recognition of LGBTQIA+. The essence of the tagline, “If we can share a shelf, we can share a cause”, characterized by the initiative by Britannia. This campaign was developed in collaboration with The Humsafar Trust. It was a public challenge to traditional brand rivalries. A call to step over lines, not just to compete, but to co-align for a greater purpose.

Parle’s response was also full of flavor. Within hours, they fired back on social media with style. A direct counter strike that didn’t just acknowledge the invite, it matched its energy, motive, and biscuit-for-biscuit spirit. Their ad showed a vertically stacked spread of their icons like Parle-G, Monaco, Hide & Seek, and Krackjack. Arranged in a full-on rainbow gradient. 

Their note: “Dear Britannia, Happy to help you with this initiative. We at Parle have been proudly serving India’s diversity not just for one month, but every month, every day.” It was pride in responding with their voice, on their terms.

The timing makes it an outstanding marketing strategy. Why? Because a 2024 Nielsen survey has found that 73 percent of Indian buyers prefer brands that take visible action on diversity. In other words, this was not creative flair, this was market math. An intelligent swing against loyalty, based on inclusivity, not merely brand purpose but positioning.

Britannia’s ad, designed by Enormous, left an empty slot in their rainbow lineup, practically daring Parle to fill it. Parle hit back with heritage, celebrating its legacy. The brand reminded everyone that it’s been in Indian homes for generations. And with arms wide open it embraced the cause. It’s a clean win-win for both brands to flex their creative muscle, keeping the rivalry deliciously alive.

What This Teaches Us About Co-Branding in 2025

At its core, this campaign wasn’t about biscuits, it’s about shared cultural capital. When two legacy brands publicly shelve rivalry for a shared cause, they tap into something rare: collaborative credibility. What made it work was the timing. Pride Month provided the perfect social backdrop. Britannia’s “empty slot” was also a subtle yet powerful creative device. It did not eliminate competition but recognized it. Parle responded to it, not to level the competition, but to season it. This is the type of brand interaction that attracts attention since it is uncommon. Both brands remained themselves but meant something greater. With co-branding evolving in India, particularly in purposeful spaces, marketers might want to note that true inclusion is not to distract from the competition, but to amplify it.