Melody toffees sold out on Amazon, Blinkit after viral Modi-Meloni diplomatic moment
By the time Parle Products vice president Mayank Shah woke up on Wednesday, Melody toffees had sold out on Amazon and Blinkit. The stock market was surging. His phone rang nonstop.
Overnight, the brand he markets had gained a global audience of hundreds of millions, thanks to a small packet of candy at a diplomatic dinner in Rome. “We did not expect anything remotely like this,” Shah told a news agency, calling it an “internet-breaking moment.”
He said the company expects increased domestic and international sales after the viral clip of Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting Melody toffees to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome. The modest gift triggered events across social media, quick commerce platforms, and the stock market.
On Blinkit and Amazon, Melody toffees sold out within hours of the video going viral. Inspired by a world leader receiving the candy as a diplomatic gesture, consumers ordered faster than warehouses could keep up. For a toffee that sells for a few rupees, it was an unusual morning.
Shah said Parle exports Melody to over 100 countries. But the attention from one video during a bilateral meeting is not something marketing budgets can replicate. “Moments like these give Indian brands a global spotlight that no advertisement can buy,” he said, thanking the Prime Minister for choosing an Indian product as a world-stage gift.
The out-of-stock notices on Amazon and Blinkit told their own story. Throughout the day, consumers searching for Melody toffees on quick-commerce platforms encountered out-of-stock notices.
The demand spike was so rapid that it exhausted existing inventory before replenishment could occur, a problem most confectionery brands would consider a welcome one.
The viral moment also produced an unintended chapter in the stock markets. Some retail investors appeared to mistake Parle Products for another unrelated company with a similar name, leading to unusual trading activity despite their lack of connection. The company is focused on making the most of the attention while it lasts.
