There was a 40% bump in sales for Bengaluru’s Rainbow Hues, and you can put it down to a viral meme with Modi and Meloni. The brand’s Melody earrings were gone in a day, a case in point for how social media and a bit of nostalgia can make or break demand.
What started as an oddity on the internet has put some hard numbers on the board for a Bengaluru outfit. You have to go back to a video from May 20 where Giorgia Meloni put up a clip of PM Narendra Modi giving her some Melody toffees. That was all it took for Rainbow Hues to see its earring line fly off the shelves and for sales to be up 40%.
Why a political meme is driving shopping
In some ways, a viral moment is like a pop-up sale for your memory. The clip from Meloni had people talking about ‘Melodi’ again and before you knew it, it was a commercial thing, with buyers wanting in on the action.
Blinkit will tell you that look-ups for the toffees went through the roof. The video racked up 100 million views in no time, and you get this mix of recollection, feeling and a little bit of impulse.
Inside Rainbow Hues’ sudden run on stock
Rainbow Hues makes a living out of acrylic pieces with a 90s or early 2000s Indian twist. We’re talking Melody toffees, Kismi, Hajmola, Kaccha Mango Bite — all made into something you can wear and talk about.
The Melody pair were the first to go, said founder Rebecca Mendonza. They were sold out in 24 hours flat. It was a week of putting things right after the initial rush. “We are on our third restock,” she puts it.
If you are in the market for one, here is what you should know:
– Melody is what is moving the most these days
– New ones come in after we do a quick turn-around
– It is a hit with the millennial set for a reason
How ‘Melodi’ became a retail signal
You could trace the ‘Melodi’ moniker to the G20 in New Delhi last September, but it really got going at COP28 in Dubai when she put up a #Melodi selfie. From there, any amicable word between them and you have memes and fan art.
From joke to real-world demand
This round, the online humour found a product in the store. The toffee gift was a concrete way to get people interested in the confectionery and anything that had the same ring to it.
It even had a knock-on effect elsewhere. Parle Industries saw its shares go up 5% in the wake of the video; some would say investors might have been in a tangle over which company was which.
What this means for brands and buyers
It is a good example of how quickly you can make a sale if you have the right cultural angle. A brand with a light touch and some flexibility in stock doesn’t need to burn cash on ads to make a name for itself in a hurry.
For the buyer, it comes down to a few things:
– Do you feel for the icon?
– Can you get it now or do you have to wait for the next batch?
– Is the price worth the novelty?
The spillover is there in other areas too. The quick-commerce apps hopped on the bandwagon for Melody, a nudge to marketers that what is happening on social is as important as the season.
Rainbow Hues has a method to it: put your wares in the public eye, be ready to restock, and make the most of the meme. With their range of Kismi and Hajmola designs, they are in a good spot to ride the wave of whatever gets people feeling nostalgic.
All the fuss over ‘Melodi’ will pass, but you can take something from it. When a trend goes from your feed to your cart, the ones who can put product on the shelf in time are the ones who come out on top. These earrings from Bengaluru are evidence enough that a well-timed meme can put in some serious foot traffic.
