Case Study: How Badshah Masala’s Mother’s Day campaign prompted families to reflect on kitchen hierarchies
The #PehliThaliMaaKi campaign by Badshah Masala used Mother’s Day as a context to spotlight a common, often unspoken tradition in Indian households, mothers eating last after serving their families. The campaign encouraged families, particularly children, to reverse this practice by preparing and serving the first plate to their mothers instead.
To support participation from those with little cooking experience, the campaign introduced Rasoi ka Badshah, an AI-based chatbot designed to assist with basic cooking guidance and recipes. Influencers from different content genres were engaged to document their participation, contributing to wider reach and relatability.
The campaign was primarily digital and used personal storytelling to drive engagement. It generated over 1 million views and interactions, along with endorsement from online figures. Overall, it focused on small, symbolic action over spectacle, using a cultural insight to create broader conversation around everyday familial roles.
Category Introduction
The Indian spices market is experiencing robust growth valued at USD 17.25 billion in 2024. The branded spices market is growing at a faster pace-than the overall category and is projected to account for 50% of market share in the next five odd years.
The category is experiencing some significant shifts as consumers, especially younger age groups, are moving towards packaged and branded spices for reasons of convenience, safety and consistent quality. There is also a growing preference for organic and plant-based spices due to growing health-consciousness, especially amongst Urban consumers.
The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the demand for immunity-boosting spices, contributing to a broader shift in consumer behavior, making Indian spices more prominent than ever.
Brand Introduction
Badshah Masala is an Indian spice company that has operated in the category alongside other players such as MDH, Everest, and Patanjali. It offers a range of basic and blended spice products and has maintained a consistent presence in Indian households over the years. Its -advertising jingle, Swad Sugandh ka Raja, Badshah Masala, remains recognisable.
In recent years, the company has adjusted its outreach strategies in response to changing consumer behaviour, particularly among younger demographics who engage with cooking content through digital platforms. These shifts have prompted legacy brands in the spice sector, including Badshah Masala, to explore new formats of engagement to align with evolving media usage and consumption trends.
Summary
Badshah Masala’s #PehliThaliMaaKi campaign, launched around Mother’s Day, focused on highlighting the often-overlooked role of mothers during family meals. The initiative invited children to prepare and serve the first plate of food to their mothers, inverting a common household practice. The campaign featured content from influencers across food, travel, and lifestyle categories, and included support from Rasoi ka Badshah, an AI-based cooking assistant aimed at simplifying recipe access for beginners.
The campaign generated over 1 million views and engagements. Public figures such as influencer Orry acknowledged the initiative through multiple organic posts. The campaign was developed by Tonic Worldwide and executed in partnership with influencer marketing agency Loud or Nothing.
Objective
For almost every Indian, home-cooked food, often lovingly referred to as 'mom food,' is integral to Indian identity and daily life. It represents more than sustenance - it is a reflection of family bonds, care, and tradition.
The act of preparing and sharing home-cooked meals is a powerful expression of mother’s love and hospitality for her loved ones, with recipes and techniques passed down through generations, preserving both culinary and familial heritage.
As part of its broader messaging strategy, the brand aimed to underscore the cultural role of home cooking and the everyday labour involved in preparing meals for families. The #PehliThaliMaaKi campaign centred on mothers, often seen as the primary cooks in Indian households, and drew attention to the domestic norms and expectations around food, care, and family responsibility.
Brief
The brand wanted to honor the selfless role mothers play in the kitchen, where they often sacrifice their own time and comfort to prepare meals for their loved ones.
They wanted to not only celebrate this contribution but also urge children and families to recognize and express their gratitude toward their mothers in a heartfelt, authentic, and selfless manner.
The campaign called for a unique approach to demonstrate this by highlighting the importance of putting #MaaFirst, using Mother’s day as the anchor.
Creative Idea
When it comes to Indian households, mothers typically get to take their meals after everyone has finished eating finished. Obviously, mothers want to ensure that every member of the household has eaten their meals well. This selfless act speaks volumes about the love and care that mothers invest in their families.
It’s only during their mealtime that mothers get some time at peace and to unwind. With this insight, the idea was to flip this practice - giving mothers the opportunity to enjoy their meal first.
The campaign's creative concept was built around the message Pehli Thali Maa Ki (The First plate is for Mom).
To make this a reality, children were encouraged to step into the kitchen, cook for their mothers, and serve them their meal first. This simple yet powerful gesture aimed to show mothers the appreciation they truly deserve, celebrating the bond between mothers and their children.
Challenges
One of the main challenges was empowering people, particularly children and younger audiences, who had never cooked before to try their hand at cooking. Many were novices and felt intimidated by the idea of preparing a meal for their mother, especially on such an emotional occasion.
To overcome this, the brand needed to ensure that the campaign provided resources and guidance to make cooking easy, enjoyable, and approachable for everyone. The key was to highlight that the joy of cooking for mom came from the heart, not necessarily from cooking expertise.
Execution
To bring the campaign’s message to life, the team relied on human-led storytelling, collaborating with three influencers from different content genres, food, travel, and lifestyle: Ansh Dhote, Sonia Kotak, and Seema Marathe. All three had previously featured their mothers in their content, making them relevant choices for a campaign centred around family relationships.
Each influencer was asked to cook a meal for their mother on Mother’s Day as a way of creating a personal gesture. They were assisted by Rasoi ka Badshah, an AI-based cooking assistant developed by Badshah Masala. The tool was positioned to help both inexperienced and seasoned home cooks by offering recipe suggestions and guidance.
For influencers who were mothers themselves, the campaign included a variation in which their children and partners prepared a surprise meal for them, highlighting intergenerational participation.
The campaign unfolded primarily through influencer content, aiming to depict moments of familial bonding. It encouraged audiences to replicate the gesture of serving the first plate to their mothers. Online engagement included a comment from well-known internet personality Orry, who responded to the campaign content with “I enjoyed.”
Results
Quantitative
8 Lakhs+ Reach
1 Mn+ Views
1 Mn+ Engagement (65% higher than expected)
Qualitative
Beyond the impressive numbers, the campaign generated overwhelming positive sentiment, with numerous heartfelt comments flooding in from followers.
One of the most rewarding moments was when influencer Orry, shared his appreciation for the campaign, several times. This level of engagement from such a prominent figure truly validated the campaign’s emotional and cultural impact.
Jigar Mehta, Marketing Manager, Badshah Masala said, "Our #PehliThaliMaaKi campaign proved that when brands authentically celebrate cultural values, magic happens. Tonic Worldwide’s team helped to not just integrate profound human insights but also allowed for Badshah Masala to be at the centre of the narrative, in the most seamless and natural way possible.
The solid campaign response in terms of views and organic endorsement from a very popular internet personality, validated our belief that genuine storytelling creates deeper connections than traditional advertising ever could."
Ankita Chauhan, VP- Strategy & Growth, Tonic Worldwide, said, "The inspiration for #PehliThaliMaaKi stemmed from a simple, heartfelt observation—how often our mothers serve everyone else before themselves. We aimed to flip that narrative. Encouraging families to cook and serve their moms first created touching moments. Witnessing families come together to cook for their moms and seeing the genuine reactions was incredibly rewarding. The overwhelming response, including organic endorsements from popular influencers, reaffirmed our belief that authentic storytelling, rooted in cultural values, can create meaningful connections in the digital age."
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