Mumbai: ITC's luxury brand of handcrafted chocolate creations Fabelle has awarded its creative mandate to Mullen Lintas. The agency will help the brand shift the perception of Fabelle from luxury chocolates to ‘unparalleled, distinguished chocolate experiences.’ Mullen Lintas' Bangalore office will lead the account.

"Fabelle is on a journey to change the way Indians experience chocolates with our one-of-a-kind multi-sensorial indulgences. With Mullen Lintas’s strong hold in strategic thinking and creative acumen, we look forward to strengthening our journey in the chocolate segment. With this partnership we aim to redefine chocolate category codes, “ said ITC chief operating officer – chocolates, confectionary, coffee and new categories – food division Anuj Rustagi.

Over the past few years, while India has seen consumers buying chocolates for everyday consumption rather than just special occasions, the market for premium chocolates is also growing - the emergence of multiple players in the premium chocolate space being one of the key indicators. India's chocolate market, valued at $1.9 billion in 2020, represents one of the fastest-growing chocolate markets in the world. A study done by IMARC Group pegs the market growth at a CAGR of 11.3 per cent during 2021-2026, according to the brand.

Mullen Lintas CEO Hari Krishnan said, “We are delighted to get an opportunity to partner ITC Foods & Fabelle. Fabelle is a multi-sensorial, luxuriant, indulgence. Our challenge is to bring alive a whole new experience in indulgence for Fabelle. We were able to demonstrate an in depth understanding of the consumer behaviour in the luxury category and the creative strategy & expressions were focused on redefining desire & indulgence. We look forward to crafting new stories for Fabelle.”