“I [started] to think if we worked together, I [could] help in different ways and — like I do in my comedy career — take authentic stories from my community from the margins and to the mainstream,” Minhaj said.
From the margins to the mainstream
Minhaj has spent his career illuminating niche narratives for an American audience. Like the Sanyal brothers, he’s a first-generation immigrant, born to Indian parents. Much of his comedy is hinged on personal experiences growing up in a predominantly white small town, with the occasional searing political takedown thrown in.
In this economy, the lines between celebrity, investor, and entrepreneur are increasingly blurred. 2024 has brought a slew of A-list brand launches from the likes of Beyoncé and Minhaj’s co-star Lively. Elsewhere, Kim Kardashian and Ashton Kutcher have made moves into the world of venture capital.
As he gears up for his own first CPG venture, meaningful collabortion is everything.
“You often see celebrities do ‘white label’ deals, they’ll give their name and likeness to an arbitrary product — whether it’s an energy bar or a beverage,” he said. “For me, this is about me investing in two people I’ve seen bring a beautiful part of my culture from the margins to millions of people across America.”
He’s already started amplifying the brand, lending his creative insights and production talents to a satirical social video riffing on the many “fake holidays created by ad executives” Americans observe, from National Green Juice Day and Cyber Monday.
In the spot, Minhaj christens Sept. 21 National Chai Day, which coincides with the brand’s fifth anniversary. It will celebrate with a classic NYC block party and pop up in cities across the U.S. including Washington D.C. and LA.
Minhaj, with help from the 186K team, approached the work like any other scripting assignment and was deep in the weeds of the Google Doc, said Ani Sanyal.
The comedian wanted to subvert expectations with the first collab. “That’s part of the language of comedy, some of the best ads do that,” Minhaj said.
A recipe for success
The ready-to-drink tea market is expected to be worth $72.9 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 8% over the next decade, per Fortune Business Insights.
However, while Indian and South Asian food culture is ubiquitous in Western markets such as the U.K. (where chicken tikka masala is a national favorite), it’s still nascent in the U.S. fast-casual market. Both the Sanyal brothers and Minhaj want to change that.
