Cornitos declares snack war with a K-Twist that refuses to play nice

MUMBAI: When everyone is busy dancing to the same K-pop beat, Cornitos has decided to bang a different drum and loudly. With the launch of its Korean Chilli Nachos, the snack brand has rolled out a sharply satirical campaign that calls out the creative sameness creeping into Korean-flavour advertising in India, choosing humour over hype and irreverence over imitation.

As Korean-inspired flavours surge in popularity, the category’s advertising has begun to look eerily familiarV sync-heavy K-pop moves, teary K-drama expressions and glossy K-beauty aesthetics. Cornitos, working with The Crayons Network, deliberately swerves away from these well-worn tropes, opting instead for a disruptive narrative that turns the genre on its head.

The films parody the tone of high-intensity Korean state broadcasts, complete with stern generals and dramatic monologues. But the twist lands via English subtitles, revealing that the fiery rhetoric is not about geopolitics or power plays, it’s about nachos, chilli heat, crunch and flavour dominance. The joke unfolds quietly, trusting viewers to connect the dots without being spoon-fed the punchline.

According to The Crayons Network, the idea was born out of creative fatigue in the category. When every brand starts leaning on the same cultural shorthand, the codes lose their impact. Cornitos’ response was to use contrast and satire to cut through the clutter rather than add to it.

Visually, the campaign blends AI-generated imagery with public-domain footage to create scale and authenticity, while keeping the humour tightly controlled. The restrained execution mirrors the product’s own positioning bold, fiery and unapologetic.

Cornitos says the campaign reflects the personality of its Korean Chilli Nachos, crafted for consumers who enjoy intense flavours and global inspirations without the predictable packaging. The films close with a line that neatly sums up both the product and the provocation, “Undiplomatically Delicious.”

In a sea of K-inspired sameness, Cornitos has chosen to stir things up not with another dance routine, but with a wink, a jab and a generous helping of chilli.