Zepto Bumrah vs Cyclone ad starkly contrasts with the campaign’s other efforts, which have been witty, innovative, and engaging.
In the high-stakes arena of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Zepto’s ad campaign, the brainchild of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, led by Jasprit Bumrah is a marketing masterstroke, blending high-intensity SFX with the thrill of cricket.
The innovative approach of ‘Groceries delivered at Bumrah speed’ brilliantly mirrored Bumrah’s attributes of speed, rigor, consistency, and precision, creating a strong synergy between Zepto and Bumrah.
However, a particular ad in the series should have raised some eyebrows.
In a misdelivery in an otherwise spot-on campaign, the Zepto Bumrah vs Cyclone ad, while aiming to highlight the speed of Zepto’s delivery service, overlooked a crucial aspect – the sensitivity required when referencing natural disasters. This metaphor is tone-deaf, especially considering India’s traumatic history with cyclones.
For context, in an ICC Cricket World Cup year, the 1999 Odisha cyclone alone led to destruction amounting to $4.4 B and claimed nearly 10,000 lives. This supercyclone peaked with winds of 260 km/h, greater than the “bas 200 km/h” comment where Bumrah needs the speed to be faster.
Also, the news ticker mentions that the city is bracing for cyclone Leela, which seems like a play of words referencing cyclone Laila that hit Southern India and Sri Lanka in 2010. Maybe a slow speed of 120 km/h, which displaced nearly 280,000 people in Sri Lanka, triggered floods, delayed flights, and submerged many areas, is just not good enough for Zepto.
In a nation scarred by such memories, equating a delivery service with a force that wreaks havoc should be questionable. It’s a reminder of the thin line between creative liberty and cultural sensitivity. Brands like Zepto must navigate this landscape with care, balancing innovation with empathy.
Zepto’s collaboration with Bumrah is definitely a marketing triumph, but it should also be a lesson in the importance of contextual awareness in advertising in the ever-evolving world of marketing and branding.
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