By Kashmeera Sambamurthy| February 7, 2026

(Snippets from the ad film)

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It’s a typical busy day at the bank. A cashier works mechanically, hardly looking at customers, processing transactions in a monotone rhythm. Suddenly, he receives a scrap of paper reading: “Fill the bag with money without making noise.” With barely a glance, he instructs, “Write the account number behind.”

Chaos ensues. The robber fires a shot in the air, startling the patrons. A staff member yells, “Security! Security!” and the robber, acting on instinct, dashes through the bank shouting, “Aaya! Aaya! Jee Madam!” Staff members identify him, exclaiming, “Bajrangi! Bajrangi!” This comical scenario, now iconic, might have been avoided had Bajrangi relied on Centre Fresh.

Released in 2011, this ad has since achieved cult status, creating lasting brand recall and entertainment value for the chewing gum brand.

Abhijit Avasthi, then National Creative Director at Ogilvy India, explained that the campaign was part of the larger “Zubaan Pe Rakhe Lagaam” brand idea, launched in 2008–2009. “The task each year was figuring out how to re-cut and re-present the Zubaan Pe Rakhe Lagaam idea in a fresh and entertaining way, keeping it engaging for consumers,” he said.

“Confectionery is an impulse category, so the creative goal is always to stay top-of-mind while delivering the product benefit in a fun, sneaky, or surprising way. This Bank Robbery campaign was essentially the third in that series.”

The client for the campaign was Sameer Suneja, then Managing Director of Perfetti India. Avasthi said, “The brief was simple: we didn’t need a new deep strategy. The Zubaan Pe Rakhe Lagaam idea was already loved. Essentially, the brief was: let’s make the next Centre Fresh ad.”

The script was written by Anurag Agnihotri and Nasar Husami, with contributions from the broader team, including Saurabh Kulkarni and Saurabh Dixit. Avasthi highlighted that the main challenge was topping previous work.

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“When prior campaigns had done exceptionally well, the task became how to stay true to the brand’s positioning while keeping storytelling fresh,” he said. Maintaining the brand’s distinct personality and sharpness was also critical to ensure each campaign felt unique and entertaining.

“Entertainment was key,” Avasthi added. “In categories like confectionery, the primary goal is to amuse people, not to solve deep life problems. Our approach was intuitive, light-hearted, and fun, which made the work resonate with the audience.”

Agnihotri, who headed the Perfetti Van Melle account at Ogilvy & Mather (now Ogilvy India), reflected on the campaign’s enduring popularity. “Even though it’s an old ad, it became extremely popular and has had a long-lasting presence,” he said. “Back then, there was no social media; ads were primarily made for TV. Today, you often see people making spoofs of it on Instagram Reels or quoting it in topical contexts.”

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Prashant Issar, ad film director at Corcoise Films, recalled how he became part of the campaign. “Anurag and Nasar approached me with the script. We ideated together, and I contributed ideas around execution and design. Eventually, we finalized what aired on television,” he said.

Issar explained that while the core concept—a security guard attempting to rob a bank and getting caught due to his own blunders—came from the agency, many execution details drew from his own experiences.

“While preparing for the shoot, I visited a nationalized bank to renew a fixed deposit. I noticed how emotionless and mechanical the staff were—they barely looked up while processing documents. That inspired how the bank employee reads the robber’s note aloud without looking, which adds humor,” he said.

He also shared the reasoning behind the security guard passing a note instead of speaking: “Being a bank employee, if he spoke, people might recognize him. That’s why he wrote the note. Initially, we considered pointing the gun at his head for comedic effect, but due to television regulations, we changed it to shooting in the air.”

Issar highlighted the casting choices and character development. “I wanted a character with quirks that felt funny but believable. I considered making him Parsi, but that felt overused. The South Indian accent for the character ‘Bajrangi’ struck the right balance of humor and relatability.”

The ad’s production design also posed challenges. “We didn’t have an actual old bank location that fit the look. So we rented a section of the oldest post office in South Bombay and built walls to make it look like a bank,” Issar said.

“Balancing humor and storytelling—ensuring the script wasn’t overcooked while keeping the characters engaging—was another challenge. Casting was straightforward, but production design required careful attention to detail to make the location convincing.”

According to Agnihotri, the ad’s humor and relatability were key to its enduring popularity. “It resurfaced often during elections, with spoofs featuring politicians, which shows how memorable it was. The main goal back then was brand recall. Centre Fresh was still expanding in India, and the category—chewing gum and toffees—was not deeply penetrated. A memorable, entertaining ad helped keep the brand top-of-mind for consumers, which was crucial for growth and distribution.”

The campaign was extremely well-received. It won awards and significantly boosted Centre Fresh’s brand value and top-of-mind recall. Issar noted, “Even today, when people think of Centre Fresh, this ad often comes to mind.”

Several details contributed to the ad’s humor and lasting appeal: the bank manager reading the note aloud without looking, the casting of a diligent Christian lady and the South Indian employee, and voice dubbing by Chetan Shashital, who voiced both the South Indian employee and the thief, adding urgency and comedic timing.

“All these layers—casting, direction, and dubbing—combined to make the ad memorable even 15 years later,” Issar said.