Diljit Dosanjh turns song lyrics into Coca-Cola gold during the Hyderabad leg of his Dilluminati tour

The Punjabi singer sidesteps Telangana's alcohol ban directive with creative Coke-themed lyric tweaks, earning the soft drink giant free publicity.

By  Storyboard18| Nov 20, 2024 12:50 PM
The highlight of the night came during his performance of the song Pehle Lalkare, where Diljit altered the line “Dooja kamm bottlaan de datt pattne” to “Dooja kamm Coke de datt pattne.” The playful lyric switch not only entertained fans but also generated organic buzz for Coca-Cola.

Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh recently transformed a government directive into a branding boon for Coca-Cola during his Hyderabad concert of his Dil-Luminati Tour, according to reports.

In response to a Telangana state directive prohibiting songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence, Diljit creatively tweaked his lyrics, swapping mentions of "daaru" (alcohol) with "Coke."

The lyric changes had the audience and social media buzzing. Videos of the performance show Diljit grinning as he crooned his Coke-themed verses, with the crowd cheering in approval.

The highlight of the night came during his performance of the song Pehle Lalkare, where Diljit altered the line “Dooja kamm bottlaan de datt pattne” to “Dooja kamm Coke de datt pattne.” The playful lyric switch not only entertained fans but also generated organic buzz for Coca-Cola.

The beverage giant wasted no time acknowledging its unexpected moment in the spotlight. A video from the performance, shared by “teamdiljitglobal” on Instagram, caught Coca-Cola India’s attention. Commenting on the post, the company humorously added a fourth “task” to the song’s narrative: “Chautha kaam twade gaane japne (The fourth task is worshipping your songs),” complete with a heart and smiley emoji.

Social media users lauded the unintentional marketing coup. One post on X (formerly Twitter) read, “Coke has made incredible impressions with the recent tweak in lyrics by Diljit.” Another noted that this is a once-in-a-lifetime free publicity moment for Coca-Cola.

On an another interesting note, A video from Diljit's Ahmedabad concert has gone viral, showing the singer stopping mid-performance to acknowledge fans watching from hotel balconies. Surprised, he paused the music and pointed out, "Yeh jo hotel ki balcony mein baithe hai, aap ka toh bara accha bhi hoya. Yeh hotel waale game kar gaye (Those who are sitting in the hotel balcony, this is good for you. The hotel outsmarted us). Without tickets, huh?"

Interestingly, during the Delhi leg of Dosanjh's tour, fans were hooked with immersive experiences and unforgettable moments by notable brands. Brand across categories from luggage to food delivery, investment apps, and apparel seized the opportunity to engage audiences by integrating their products with the tour.

First Published onNov 20, 2024 12:50 PM

SPOTLIGHT

Special CoverageCalling India’s Boldest Brand Makers: Entries Open for the Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity

From purpose-driven work and narrative-rich brand films to AI-enabled ideas and creator-led collaborations, the awards reflect the full spectrum of modern creativity.

Read More

“Confusion creates opportunity for agile players,” Sir Martin Sorrell on industry consolidation

Looking ahead to the close of 2025 and into 2026, Sorrell sees technology platforms as the clear winners. He described them as “nation states in their own right”, with market capitalisations that exceed the GDPs of many countries.