RCB launches ‘Kannada Jilebi’ campaign in Bengaluru to promote local language among non-native fans

In an unusual cultural outreach ahead of their IPL fixtures, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has launched a new campaign to promote Kannada among its non-native-speaking fan base — using jilebis shaped like Kannada words.

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Dubbed as a first-of-its-kind initiative in Indian cricket, the campaign aims to familiarise fans with the local language in a format that’s both accessible and symbolic. For decades, South Indian languages — particularly Kannada — have been portrayed as difficult to grasp for outsiders. RCB is attempting to turn that perception around using food and fandom.

Here is how RCB is doing it

The edible jilebis, designed in the shapes of Kannada script, are available in limited numbers at the RCB Bar & Café in Bengaluru from April 8 to 11. Each pack comes with a scannable code that unlocks Kannada learning videos on RCB’s official YouTube channel, featuring players like Virat Kohli, Tim David, and Yash Dayal delivering beginner-friendly lessons.

The campaign also includes 1,000 free Kannada language sessions that RCB is sponsoring for fans — either for personal use or to gift to non-native friends living in Bengaluru.

“This city has welcomed people from across the country,” said Rajesh Menon, Chief Operating Officer of RCB. “This campaign is our tribute to Bengaluru and its culture. By turning the Kannada script into a dessert, we’re inviting fans to literally taste the language.”

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The team says the initiative is not just a marketing gimmick but a broader effort to build deeper emotional connections with its diverse fan base. RCB is positioning the jilebi — a sweet often associated with celebration — as a metaphor for inclusion.

While the campaign may appear lighthearted, it taps into a deeper conversation about language, migration, and belonging in Bengaluru — a city with a growing population of non-Kannada speakers. The South Indian languages are often mocked by the others on social media, where the memers compare the font with jilebis.