India’s F&B scene is buzzing, with dessert cafes and coffee spots becoming the new hangout for a generation that loves to eat, click, and share. DBS Ventures spotted the perfect opportunity to jump in, but not with just another dessert cafe. The vision was to build something more: a dessert and coffee brand that people wouldn’t just visit, but fall for. The kind of place they’d want to come back to, rave about, and tag their friends in. But, in a world where everyone’s already selling great cakes and coffees, the real challenge was creating an experience that sticks long after the last bite.
At the heart of this brand were the dream team: Kuncheria Marattukalam, the brain behind the business, and co-founders Nakul Kulkarni and Aiyappa KT, the creative minds with contrasting personalities that share a love for their craft. Nakul, a global-trotting pastry chef, brought fun, flair, and the kind of dessert that makes people drool. Aiyappa, a grounded coffee farmer from Kodagu, brought the richness of his roots and a deep love for coffee that’s strong, soulful, and brewed with care.
The contrast between their personalities, one expressive and experimental, the other grounded and introspective, offered the perfect starting point for the brand narrative. Our task was to translate that dynamic into a cohesive identity and bring it to life in a way that was engaging and memorable, especially on digital platforms, where first impressions are make or break.
P.U. Dingding wasn’t just built on cakes and coffees – it was built on the bliss of a slow Sunday morning with your favorite people – cozy, nostalgic, and filled with laughter over sips of coffee, shared desserts, and inside jokes. It was designed to feel like comfort with character; familiar yet fresh, indulgent, joyful, but never over-the-top.
When it came to brand identity, we wanted to strike a sweet balance between structure and play. Cakehead and Cuphead, the brand mascots inspired by Nakul and Aiyappa, became the soul of the brand, helping us share their stories, showcase their passions (on a plate and in a cup), and bring their delightful contrast to life, one swirl and sip at a time.
Visually, we wanted P.U. Dingding to feel like a sugar rush; full of whimsy, vibrancy, and just a little bit of mess (in the best way). Think doodles of whisks and coffee cups, cheeky dessert icons, and playful drips and swirls that looked like icing, froth, or a rogue spoonful of meringue. Every element, from coasters to menus to takeaway boxes, felt like it belonged in a world where fun was baked into every detail.
And the voice? Confident, casual, and never afraid of a pun or two. From “Another one bites the crust” to “Brewhemian Rhapsody”, we wanted to serve a smile along with sugar caffeine.
To launch P.U. Dingding, we treated social media as our main stage, our digital tasting table. We wanted to build buzz, turn heads, and drive curiosity. The goal was clear: boost brand visibility, spark engagement, and tempt dessert lovers to check us out in person. Through a visually rich content strategy, we showcased the star players: the desserts, the coffee, and the quirky, inviting space, all designed to catch attention, create craving, and convert scrolling into footfall.
To do this, we whipped up a digital campaign that introduced the brand in a way that was impossible to scroll past. At the heart of it were Cakehead and Cuphead, our mascots. Through them, we didn’t just tell a brand story, we built a whole dessert cafe universe. Our animated launch reel whisked viewers straight into their world of swirls, beans, sugar highs, and friendly banter, setting the tone for a feed full of flavour and personality.
We brought the in-cafe experience to the feed with candid reactions from customers trying the desserts and coffee for the first time, a reel that captured genuine smiles, full mouths, and that “OMG” moment after taking the first bite.
Signature dishes were also given their moment to shine, each one showcased with drool-worthy visuals and chef notes that made them feel less like products and more like personal recommendations.
Even the packaging got a spotlight. We captured the little joys, a pun tucked inside a box, an illustration wrapping around a coffee cup, showing how the experience extended beyond the cafe and into people’s hands.
This campaign did more than just introduce P.U. Dingding, it gave the brand a personality people could instantly connect with. In a space full of sameness, it carved out a voice that felt fresh, fun, and unmistakably its own. And the best part? People who met the brand online didn’t just double-tap — they showed up, craving the experience in real life.