Eastern, part of Orkla India, has marked International Chicken Curry Day with the launch of ‘The Chicken Song’, a music-led brand initiative celebrating Kerala’s long-standing relationship with chicken curry. The campaign moves away from conventional product advertising, positioning the dish as a shared cultural experience that connects households, communities and generations across the state.
Conceived as a cultural expression rather than a standard brand film, ‘The Chicken Song’ draws on everyday emotions, nostalgia and social rituals associated with chicken curry in Kerala. The narrative frames the dish as a constant in daily meals as well as special occasions, while Eastern Chicken Masala is presented as a familiar presence in these moments. The brand integration is deliberately understated, allowing the story and music to carry the message without overt product-led communication.
The campaign is anchored by a folk-rock anthem that reflects regional sensibilities and contemporary energy. The music video presents Kerala as a vibrant mix of food traditions, family settings and community gatherings, capturing scenes ranging from routine home cooking to festive celebrations. The soundtrack is performed by playback singer Sooraj Santhosh, while actor Manikuttan appears as the face of the campaign, adding recognition and local relevance to the execution.
From a marketing perspective, the campaign is designed to strengthen emotional connections rather than drive immediate product messaging. By focusing on a widely shared cultural insight, Eastern aims to reinforce brand recall and long-term affinity, particularly among consumers who associate the brand with authenticity and everyday cooking. The use of music as the primary creative device enables the campaign to travel beyond traditional advertising formats and encourages organic sharing.
Girish Nair, chief executive officer at Eastern, said: “Chicken curry is not just a dish in Kerala. It’s a dish woven into the social fabric in Kerala. With the ‘Chicken Song,’ we wanted to celebrate the everyday joy that chicken dishes brings into our lives in Kerala. This is our way of thanking generations of consumers who have made Eastern a part of their kitchens and their stories.”
Praveen Ramaswamy, chief marketing officer at Eastern, noted that the intent was to move away from product-centric narratives. “We saw this campaign as an opportunity to step back from product centric communication and instead celebrate a cultural truth. Chicken curry is staple in Kerala and Eastern Chicken Masala has been quietly an integral part of the journey for decades. Musica allowed us to tell this story in a way that feels organic, inclusive and emotionally resonant,” he said.
The campaign has been developed in collaboration with FCB Ulka. Sareesh Jameskutty, vice president at FCB Ulka, described the approach as culture-first rather than advertising-led. “For FCB, this was an opportunity to build a brand idea rooted in lived culture rather than advertising convention. Chicken curry in Kerala is an emotion - deeply democratic, deeply personal. Eastern’s belief in the insight allowed the team to execute what feels less like a campaign and more like a cultural expression - authentic and unmistakably Malayalee,” he said.
With ‘The Chicken Song’, Eastern continues to build its brand through culturally grounded storytelling. The campaign reinforces Eastern Chicken Masala’s role in everyday cooking while aligning the brand with Kerala’s food heritage, using music and shared traditions as a bridge to engage audiences across age groups.
