Food ordering and delivery platform Zomato has launched a Chennai-themed anthem in collaboration with regional rap artist Paal Dabba, celebrating the city’s distinctive culture, energy and resilience.
Titled ‘Veppam is our weapon’, the music video turns Chennai’s relationship with heat into the central theme of the campaign. The anthem draws parallels between the city’s scorching summers and its famously fiery food, presenting heat as a source of energy and resilience rather than something to escape.
Chennai through a local lens
The campaign uses local language, slang, imagery and familiar city settings to create an anthem rooted in Chennai’s everyday culture.
Paal Dabba, who collaborated with Zomato on the writing and visual treatment, said the inspiration came directly from Chennai’s streets and the language and references he grew up with.
The rapper said the track was designed to capture the city’s distinctive rhythm and energy, with local expressions forming an integral part of the song.
Zomato Marketing Head Sahibjeet Singh Sawhney said heat is something many cities try to avoid, while Chennai embraces it across its weather, food and passions.
He said the collaboration with Paal Dabba was aimed at celebrating the city’s distinctive relationship with heat and its ability to thrive in it.
Building a city-specific brand connect
The campaign reflects a broader shift in consumer brands towards hyperlocal storytelling, using regional artists, language and cultural references to create stronger connections with audiences.
For Zomato, Chennai’s food culture provides a natural platform for such a campaign. By placing local identity at the centre rather than simply using the city as a backdrop, the company is seeking to build a more culturally relevant brand narrative.
The creative process involved close collaboration with Paal Dabba across both the lyrics and visual treatment. Zomato said the approach was intended to ensure that the anthem offered an authentic, on-ground interpretation of Chennai rather than an outside portrayal of the city.
With ‘Veppam is our weapon’, Zomato is positioning Chennai’s heat, literal and metaphorical, as a defining part of the city’s character, turning a familiar challenge into a celebration of resilience, food and local pride.