Knorr, the popular food brand under Hindustan Unilever, has taken an unconventional route to promote its Korean Ramen range — by once again collaborating with stand-up comic and internet personality Samay Raina, a move that seems both risky and strategic. With a focus on humour and unpredictability over product features, Knorr’s latest influencer campaign has sparked conversation, intrigue, and potential consumer curiosity.
From Regret to Record Sales: The Backstory of Samay Raina and Knorr
The history between Knorr and Raina goes back to December 2024, when Deepti Karthik, then fractional CMO, publicly expressed regret over an earlier influencer partnership with the comic. At the time, Raina had insisted on creative control, rejected brand guidelines, and delivered a post that seemed completely misaligned with Knorr’s identity. The brand removed it from all official channels.
Yet, surprisingly, the post drove over ₹25 lakh in sales in just two months — becoming the most profitable influencer collaboration Knorr had executed to date. This unexpected success forced the brand team to reconsider how non-traditional personalities like Raina could influence purchase behaviour, even when their tone and humour clash with the brand’s established persona.
The New Campaign: Ramen Takes a Backseat, Chaos Takes the Lead
In their 2025 campaign conceptualised by Pepper Creative, Knorr appears to have leaned into that same chaos. The ad opens with an agency and brand team meeting to brainstorm a campaign idea. “I’ve got a bad feeling about it,” mutters the brand manager — foreshadowing the creative chaos that ensues as Samay Raina tears up the script and wreaks comedic havoc.
In a series of absurd and unscripted-looking moments, Raina spills tea on ramen bowls, mocks brand strategy discussions, and finally pitches the actual disaster as the idea for the ad. The entire video plays out more like a meta-commentary on influencer marketing than a product pitch.
Strikingly, the ramen itself — available in three flavours: Kimchi, Gochujang, and Jjajangmyeon — is almost absent. Aside from a few fleeting visuals and a mention in the Instagram hashtags, there is little in the way of traditional food advertising. Instead, the campaign banks heavily on Raina’s unpredictable persona and self-referential humour to do the talking.
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Is This Brand Unsafe — or Brilliant?
Samay Raina has never been a safe choice for family brands. He’s faced backlash before, including for his show India’s Got Latent, which was taken down due to offensive language. But that notoriety is also what draws his deeply engaged, meme-loving audience.
Knorr’s willingness to embrace that risk shows a growing shift in how brands approach influencer marketing — less about scripted brand messages, more about authentic, even chaotic creator voices. Raina’s popularity among Gen Z and young millennial audiences, many of whom are also fans of K-dramas and Korean food culture, creates an overlap worth tapping into.
In fact, the new video even nods to Raina’s viral moment earlier this year, when he dressed as a K-drama character — suggesting Knorr is now in on the joke, rather than fighting it.
Building on the ‘Dare to Slurp’ Legacy
This campaign follows Knorr’s 2024 launch of its Korean Ramen range, which kicked off with a Netflix Squid Game collaboration. The “Dare to Slurp” challenge asked participants to finish a ramen bowl in 60 seconds or risk being “eliminated,” capturing both the thrill of the show and the spiciness of the product.
In a post on the HUL website, the company noted, “With the Dare to Slurp campaign, we are not only highlighting Knorr’s Korean Ramen range but also celebrating the growing influence of K-culture and its ability to connect people across geographies.”
The current campaign with Raina continues that celebration — albeit with more mess, more unpredictability, and a lot less ramen close-ups.
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Final Thoughts: A Gamble That Might Just Pay Off (Again)
Knorr’s collaboration with Samay Raina is not just an ad — it’s a statement. A brand known for safe, family-friendly products is consciously choosing to embrace imperfect, unscripted chaos to sell to a younger, edgier audience. And if past performance is any indication, this brand unsafe move may once again lead to unexpectedly strong results.
As influencer marketing evolves, brands that are willing to take risks, adapt, and occasionally laugh at themselves might just be the ones that end up winning — with sales, relevance, and a fiercely loyal online community.
