It’s not just nations that are pledging net zero emissions. Brands have jumped on the sustainability bandwagon as well. Zomato’s new advertisement reinforces its commitment to facilitate 100 per cent electronic vehicle-based deliveries by 2030.
The one-minute and 14-second-long commercial, rolled out on World Environment Day (5 June), is proof that sometimes, brilliance is about simplicity. It gets the message across by showing a delivery partner’s attempt to try different modes of transport from toy cars to paragliders before settling on an e-bike.
“At Zomato we have tried multiple things to make deliveries pollution-free,” says a cheerfully exasperated delivery partner in the opening frame. As the camera zooms out, he is seen sitting on top of a camel. What follows is a series of slapstick attempts to deliver food without adding to pollution levels. The partner tries out roller skates and toy cars, asks a baby for a lift in his pram, negotiates with pigeons, and experiments with a pogo stick. He even asks a pseudo-Superman for help.
The litany of failed attempts aims to elicit a wry grin from the viewer. They breeze through the screen in quick succession without overstaying. And just when you think that petrol-guzzling vehicles are a necessary evil, the solution is presented—an efficient electric two-wheeler.
The catchy jingle draws inspiration from the funky beats of ‘Womaniya’, the popular song from Gangs of Wasseypur (2012). It has recall power. The final sequence of cheerful delivery partners invites the viewer to celebrate as well.
But, what could’ve been a seamless ad hits a snag with its lackluster tagline: ‘Zomato delivers on EV, delivers on time’. It’s not bad, but it’s certainly not groundbreaking.
The tagline can make or break an ad. All over the world, brands are coming up with creative ways to push their message on sustainability. Lacoste swapped its iconic green crocodile with endangered animals in its limited-edition shirts. Hyundai, while introducing ‘the world’s first electric compact SUV’ took a potshot at Tesla’s Elon Musk with the line: Your turn, Elon.
It’s odd that Zomato, which has a reputation for catchy taglines, stumbled at the final stage.
Back in 2016, they rejigged famous Hindi songs and dialogues from movies to come up with catchy lines like “Kya pata call ho naa ho“, “Mere Karan Arjun Khayenge” and “Zindagi ke swaad bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi.”
And let’s not overlook their arsenal of quirky push-notifications—they’re sharper than the average boyfriend’s pick-up lines.
“You can flirt with them, but we are the ones they’ll call home (to deliver food of course).”
Also read: Zomato vs Zomato creates multiverse in advertising. Good content, bad marketing
The sustainability drive
Sustainability-themed advertising is here to stay. It’s a prominent and enduring trend, according to a Nielsen report that studied the German market.
In India, among the sustainability drives for World Environment Day, there were Maggi’s ‘Environment ke liye 2 minute’ and Lay’s ad film ‘Drops of Joy’, which talks of water positivity.
Maggi’s ad felt a bit forced. And while Lay’s featured cute animated birds, it seemed out of touch with reality.
Uber India collaborated with Zepto and rolled out a digital ad talking about their Uber Green initiative, aimed at promoting sustainable transportation.
But it paled in comparison to Zomato’s ad.
While hits and misses are part of the trade, Zomato—for the most part— has a finger on the pulse. It relies on countless memes on its social media accounts, online and TV ads, witty drenched-in-red hoardings, and push notifications.
Now, it just has to get a snappier tagline.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)
Reducing emissions are definitely good visions. But what about educating the delivery agents to follow traffic rules, with growing need for deliveries and companies boasting impractical timelines for delivery. Delivery agents drive like ambulances endangering other drivers on roads. Will the companies take initiative to discipline their agents?