What a fiasco by Ola cabs!

An advertising campaign is supposed to speak directly to its target audience so that they are in tune with what the ad wants to make them aware of, promote or sell – be it a product or service or even an idea. But sometimes, few promotional campaigns forget to consider the existence of one-half of the society, i.e, the women! Women too, are living, sentient beings who are also viewers of your ads and can actively respond to them. Just like anybody else, you know.

While some ads are Breaking the Bias, and others are trying to relieve the nation of gender discrimination, Ola has come up with a wonderful sexist ad to make it all come tumbling down. Well done, Ola!

Entitled – ‘Micro Stories: Too Expensive to take GF out on a date?’ – Ola Cabs Taxi Service has put up an ad on Youtube this very week. The ad shows a man walking with his girlfriend through a market place, as he has to constantly stop every few seconds as his girlfriend pauses to choose things for him to buy for her. A shallow, exaggerated drawing of an adolescent’s idea of a date.

The vexed boyfriend, then looks up at the camera with a hopeless expression and says the words, ‘Meri girlfriend chalti hai Rs. 525 per km, but Ola Micro chalti hai sirf Rs. 6 per km.’ He means, his girlfriend spends Rs. 525 per km, while Ola Micro only charges Rs. 6 per km. I don’t even understand the comparison.

I salute those who come up with such ridiculous ad campaigns, no offence. For one thing, the first thing we’re taught in advertising, is considering the feelings of our target audience. Your target market consists of every kind of person, anybody who commutes on a somewhat daily basis. And you simply cannot afford to hurt the feelings of ½ your audience by posting such a superficial, sexist ad. It’s not funny to some of us.