India’s quick commerce apps have maybe found a new way to connect with their audience and it’s not with lightning-fast deliveries this time but with lightning-fast wit. In a cheeky nod to the season of underwhelming salary hikes, Zepto has turned a common workplace gripe into a viral gag.

Search for “appraisal” on the Zepto app and up pops peanuts. Literally. The peanut gag caught on and the internet started chiming in by sharing screenshots from Zepto and even Swiggy Instamart, which apparently shares the same sense of humour (and inventory).

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However, none of the brands have so far officially confirmed if this was part of their campaign. Whether this was a coordinated campaign or an intern having too much fun with metadata, it’s worked. Social media is eating it up, perhaps along with the peanuts.

Some X users appreciated the wit and posted about it. A user wrote, “Post appraisal effect.” Another wrote, “Marketing is insane these days.” “Moment marketing at its best,” wrote another user.

Zepto, known for its pop-culture-savvy reels, may have dropped a clue earlier in a clip where delivery agents show up at an office carrying peanuts and butter. A not-so-subtle nudge at the flattery-peanuts dynamic of performance reviews.

This isn’t the first time these platforms have cracked the code on meme-worthy marketing. Remember the “Prashant-Croissant” saga? When a viral video confused the French pastry with a man named Prashant, Swiggy, Blinkit and Zepto were quick to whip up their own takes — croissant puns included.