India’s most popular cricket franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru unites its home city through food and fandom.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, part of The Indian Premier League, is amongst the most followed sports franchises in the world. With a fan base of millions, both in its home city of Bengaluru and all over the world, it has launched a groundbreaking cultural campaign that finds a unique way to unite the team’s multilingual loyalists. In a playful, one-of-a-kind initiative, RCB is inviting fans to literally taste the sweetness of Kannada, the local language of Bengaluru & Karnataka, through specially crafted, edible jilebis shaped like essential Kannada.
For the uninitiated, these sweets, called jilebis, are a popular Indian dessert made by deep-frying coils of batter into intricate, swirled shapes and soaking them in syrup. For this campaign, RCB reimagined the classic jilebi by shaping them into letters of the Kannada alphabet – transforming the dessert into a fun and delicious way to celebrate the local language and identity. The inspiration comes from a bit of online banter: over the years, some have compared the looping curves of the Kannada script to the circular shapes of jilebis. While the comparison has often been made as banter, this campaign flips that narrative into one of pride and playfulness, turning it into an opportunity to engage, learn, and celebrate.
With this, RCB & the creative agency Talented hopes to show that Bengaluru can be the most inclusive city in more ways than one. What might seem like a nuanced subject has been handled with utmost respect, ease and sass. Because sometimes, design can do good. Sport can do good.
“What makes RCB truly special is the unwavering support of our fans – no matter where they come from or what language they speak,” says Rajesh Menon, COO of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. “This campaign is our tribute to Bengaluru, a city that has embraced people from across the country
with open arms. By creating jilebis inspired by the elegance of the Kannada script, we’re inviting
everyone to savour the rich culture of our home city – quite literally. It’s a bold and heartfelt gesture to surprise our fans and deepen their connection with the team.”
Fans can scan the jilebi pack to unlock a series of beginner-friendly Kannada lessons on RCB’s YouTube channel, making this the tastiest language class in town. RCB is also sponsoring 1000 free Kannada learning sessions that fans can take or gift their non-native Bengalurean friends – a sweet gesture to help the city’s diverse fan base connect more deeply with its cultural roots. It’s where migrants and locals unite, courtesy RCB.
