Perfetti’s Centerfruit uses AI voice tech to engage rural consumers without internet

New Delhi: To connect with rural India, Perfetti Van Melle India has launched a campaign for its brand Centerfruit, enabling real-time AI conversations over basic feature phones without the need for internet, apps, or smartphones.

The initiative, titled the “Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayi” Challenge, was rolled out in collaboration with Wavemaker, WPP, BharatGPT.ai, and Google Cloud. It targets rural consumers, where nearly 40% of households lack access to TV and 50% are without internet, by tapping into traditional voice telephony powered by artificial intelligence.

“No Internet. No Smartphone. Just a Voice. And Yet,  an AI Conversation,” wrote Gunjan Khetan, CMO at Perfetti Van Melle India, in a LinkedIn post unveiling the campaign.

Khetan noted that the idea stemmed from a core marketing insight: to truly “go where the consumer is.” But when the consumer is disconnected from digital infrastructure, brands need to reimagine engagement.

The campaign enabled two-way, real-time conversations in local dialects through a simple phone call, using AI-over-telephony.

As part of the challenge, users would dial in to participate in a tongue twister competition. The AI voice would prompt participants with phrases such as “Pake ped par paka papita, paka ped ya paka papita,” and users were required to repeat the line for a chance to win prizes. The experience was designed to be conversational, enabling real-time, two-way interaction entirely through voice, and in local dialects.

Without requiring data, smartphones, or apps, the activation delivered a low-tech, high-impact user experience built for Bharat’s last-mile connectivity.

Sharing his thoughts on the campaign, Khetan, said, “Rural Bharat is an important market for Centerfruit, and while we have been able to reach millions through Television, there are still pockets where narrating our brand story has been a challenge. However, the latest Voice AI tech activation is a game-changer, it allows us to not just reach but have conversations with people outside of the traditional digital ecosystem. By using AI and creative storytelling, we bring the Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayee spirit to life in a way that feels local, effortless, and deeply inclusive.”

Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President and Country MD, Google Cloud India added, “Google Cloud’s scalable cloud infrastructure will enable brands like Center Fruit to reach consumers in their native language and Gemini’s capabilities will enable real time scoring which will make the whole user journey exciting while creating more brand recognition. This is a testament to how technology can truly empower businesses and consumers around the globe.”

Beyond the tongue twister challenge, users could also ask questions through BharatGPT.ai’s Ask Engine, receiving instant responses in their regional dialects, making the overall experience interactive, and conversational.

Ajay Gupte, CEO, South Asia, Wavemaker, said, "We believe technology should be an equalizer, not a barrier. Our collaboration on the campaign along with BharatGPT.ai and Google Cloud is a powerful example of how voice-based GenAI can bridge the digital divide and bring playful, immersive brand experiences to audiences often overlooked by mainstream media. By combining creativity with scalable tech infrastructure, we’re proud to help create a campaign that’s as inclusive as it is innovative one that speaks directly to people, in their language, on the devices they already use."

Karthik Nagarajan, Chief Executive Officer - Hogarth India, said, “This partnership between Perfetti Van Melle, WPP, Google Cloud, and BharatGPT wasn’t about tech deployment, it was about cultural engineering. We built AI not just to answer questions, but to reflect the wit, rhythm, and warmth of everyday Bharat. When creativity meets technology, you don’t just reach people, you resonate. As a content experience company, we specialize in delivering engaging, enriching brand experiences irrespective of the medium. In this case, we are very grateful to Perfetti Van Melle for providing a platform that enabled us to create such an experience at scale for its audience."

Centerfruit, the chewing gum brand from Perfetti Van Melle, brought back its iconic "Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayee" tagline in early 2025, reviving a phrase that once defined the brand before it shifted focus in recent years to the "Mood Ting Tong" platform across various product lines.

Watch the campaign film :

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