🧊 Gaming Meets Cold Coffee: Nestlé India Taps into Gen Z with NESCAFÉ RTD Innovation

April 23, 2025 | Dairy Dimension Editorial Desk

In a move that exemplifies how legacy food and beverage brands are adapting to shifting youth culture, Nestlé India has rolled out an unconventional campaign for its NESCAFÉ Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Cold Coffee range. Rather than relying on traditional advertising, Nestlé embedded its latest cold coffee line directly into the online ecosystems where Gen Z spends most of its time: gaming and live streaming.

The company’s campaign, launched in conjunction with the release of a Minecraft movie, centers around influencer-driven activations on YouTube and streaming platforms. Through partnerships with high-profile streamers like GamerFleet (Anshu Bisht), Nestlé’s RTD cold coffee became a recurring presence in livestreams—served as the literal and figurative fuel for gamers during intense Minecraft mini-games.

“Young India is gravitating towards gaming, and we wanted to leverage this content stream and position NESCAFÉ’s new café-style cold coffee range as the ideal partner for gaming.”
— Manav Sahni, Head, Dairy Business, Nestlé India

🧃 From Shelf to Stream: A Cold Coffee Strategy for a Hot Market

While coffee RTDs have seen steady growth in India, especially among urban millennials, Nestlé’s latest pivot suggests the brand sees even stronger potential among Gen Z. These consumers not only seek convenient, chilled formats for their caffeine fix but also expect brands to show up authentically in their digital spaces.

What makes this campaign especially notable is the scale and integration: 27 live streams, over 3.89 million organic views in the first 10 days, and a roadmap that includes a total of 50 streamers throughout April. The approach goes beyond influencer marketing—it reflects a strategic cultural placement of a dairy-based beverage within one of the most engaged subcultures on the internet.

“Minecraft isn’t just a game—it’s a cultural phenomenon… StreamO is pleased to have activated the Minecraft community for NESCAFÉ’s new Cold Coffee range—keeping gamers refreshed over long hours of streaming.”
— Tushaar Garg, Founder, StreamO

🎮 Gaming x Dairy: A Market Innovation or Momentary Trend?

At a time when dairy-based beverages are often marketed through wellness or indulgence lenses, Nestlé’s campaign reframes cold coffee as a lifestyle companion. It’s no longer just a product on the shelf—it’s part of the “streaming setup,” alongside headphones and controllers.

The functional cue here is subtle: NESCAFÉ RTD Cold Coffee can keep gamers “refreshed” during long hours online, an idea well-aligned with India’s climate and the drink’s chilled format.

📈 A New Playbook for Dairy Beverage Marketing?

For the Indian dairy industry, this activation may represent a broader trend worth watching: the convergence of youth marketing, functional dairy formats, and creator-led ecosystems. While not all dairy players have the budgets or brand equity of Nestlé, the takeaway is clear—future growth will depend not just on what you sell, but where and how you show up.