‘Search appraisal, get Peanuts’: Zepto’s clever wordplay wins hike season

New Delhi: Quick-commerce platform Zepto has executed a marketing stunt that captures the corporate zeitgeist during appraisal season. 

In a playful nod to the often-disappointing salary hikes that employees face, searching “appraisal” on Zepto’s app yields a cheeky result: peanuts—literally. The clever wordplay has caught the netizens’ attention.

The campaign came to light when X user Harshita shared a screenshot of her search results on May 1, 2025, captioning it, “Brands are so good at moment marketing. When you search ‘appraisal’ on @ZeptoNow you find peanuts! That’s crazy, no???” 

Clarifying that it was not a paid promotion, Harshita noted that her curiosity during appraisal season led to the discovery. “It’s appraisal season, and the Zepto team has cooked!” another user commented, while others shared similar experiences with peanut-packed search results.

Zepto isn’t alone in the fun. Competitors Swiggy, Instamar,t and Blinkit have joined the appraisal season roast, with Swiggy also displaying peanut-related products for “appraisal” searches and Blinkit humorously offering kitchen utensils, suggesting employees might need to “cook their feelings” after lacklustre raises. 

The synchronised wit from these platforms has amplified the buzz, with posts on X praising the brands for tapping into the collective corporate frustration with humour. “Q-commerce platforms channel corporate trauma with a viral twist,” 

The campaign resonates deeply during appraisal season, a time when employees across India vent about minimal increments, often jokingly referred to as “peanuts” in corporate slang. 

Social media reactions have been a mix of amusement and admiration. “That’s dope,” one user wrote, while another quipped, “Zepto just roasted every HR department in India.”