MUMBAI: Mars International India‘s chocolate brand Snickers has launched its new television campaign (TVC) featuring Rekha and Urmila Matondkar.

Directed by Bollywood director Imtiaz Ali, the new TVC is an adaptation of the global campaign ‘You‘re Not You When You Are Hungry‘.

It is currently on air across 56 television channels and nine languages.

Developed by BBDO India, the TVC is based on the concept, which was developed behind universal insights that hunger makes a person weak and behaves differently, ultimately affecting the people around us and our performances. Rekha portrays the hunger state ‘meanness‘ and joins a list of international celebrities including Betty White, Joe Pesci, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minnelli and Joan Collins.

This concept YNYWYH has run in 56 countries with local celebrities.

Mars International India MD Chocolate Business MV Natarajan said, "What the commercial is saying is that when you‘re hungry you‘re not on your game and that Snickers is the bar of substance that sorts you out to be yourself. The campaign has enjoyed huge success internationally and we are optimistic that we will get positive response in India too."

The opening of the TVC shows four boys who are going in a car to play cricket. They are speaking in their colloquial language and out of those four, one of them is Rekha. The other boys are talking to her as if she is a boy. The fact is that the boy is hungry and thus, starts behaving like a Diva‘. ‘Kyunki hunger Acche Acchon Ko Badal Deta Hai‘. So, he rips into the Snickers bar on his friend‘s suggestion and comes back to being himself.

Later, when they reach the cricket ground, the driver is hungry and hence, starts throwing tantrums. This role is played by Urmila. So the boys take out one more Snickers for him.

Therefore, the theme of the ad is that you are not yourself when you are hungry. One should eat Snickers when hungry to refuel in-between meals.