When Dark Fantasy launched its "Din Khatam, Fantasy Shuru" campaign featuring Alia Bhatt, the challenge wasn't simply about promoting a premium cookie—it was about establishing a distinct emotional territory in the competitive indulgence category. By positioning the brand as an end-of-day reward, ITC sought to elevate Dark Fantasy beyond functional snacking to become a symbolic moment of personal escape and stress release.

We assessed the campaign's resonance across diverse consumer segments, revealing varied reception patterns: early career professionals strongly connected with the structured "me-time" concept, while younger students with fluid routines struggled to relate to the rigid end-of-day framing. Gender differences emerged too, with women more readily connecting to the emotional eating narrative while men approached snacking more functionally.

Our exploration uncovered a critical insight: while the emotional positioning resonated conceptually, the execution lacked the sensory triggers—chocolate melt, satisfying crunch, ingredient close-ups—that would translate emotional connection into purchase desire. The campaign successfully established the "why" of consumption but failed to sufficiently activate the visceral cravings that drive impulse purchases.

This understanding led us to recommend broadening the consumption occasion beyond the night time ritual, repositioning Dark Fantasy as an "anytime escape" while amplifying sensory cues that trigger craving. By reframing the "me-time" concept as a pocket indulgence—a brief moment of sweetness accessible anywhere—Dark Fantasy could establish a more universal appeal that transcended demographics while maintaining its distinctive emotional territory in the premium indulgence space.