Iconic Ads: Kissan Jam – Jam Jam Jammy

Unilever had a small presence in the food space in the early 90s until they bought Kissan from UB in the mid-90s. The ready to eat packaged food market was just taking off and was a ready help for mothers who did not want their kids to miss out on nutrition in the humdrum of everyday life.

Kissan’s advertising focused on the product (jams & ketchup). The key challenges then were to create a distinct differentiator and identify a brand ambassador. So while Kissan jam was promoted with a differentiator that it was made with 100% fruits, it still needed a boost to communicate the positioning with an ambassador.

Rahul Dravid had debuted in the mid-90s. He was the unassuming, calm & composed star, not the flashy type. He had developed a reputation for being an understated ‘nice boy’ too. Given his personality, people did not expect him to be naughty!

Lintas, led by creative director Balki, cast Rahul in a role directly contrasting to his image. He took multiple avatars as a person who desperately wanted his Kissan jam. Noted Malayalam filmmaker VK Prakash shot this film in Chennai.

Rahul lent his nickname Jammy to this commercial. Rahul’s father had worked in the Kissan factory for more than 30 years. In the early part of his career in Ranji trophy, Javagal Srinath started calling him Jammy due to that connection. The other teammates picked it up from there.

Rahul has gone on record, stating that this one commercial is close to his heart because of his father’s connection.