With the world having moved to digital very rapidly, one would think that traditional methods of marketing and advertising might die. But that is far from true. If anything, the traditional ways like Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertisements get widely noticed and even more amplified on social media. It moves from offline to online real quick, reaching an even bigger audience base who continue talking about it.
Another new phenomenon in the world of OOH ads is “Billboard Banters“. We saw the biggest one a year ago when two creative billboards put up by Blinkit and Zomato, in collaboration, caught the eyes of netizens and soon became the talk of the virtual town. Blinkit’s billboard said “Doodh mangoge, doodh denge” and Zomato’s said “Kheer mangoge, kheer denge“.
In no time the simple post turned into a full-blown marketing opportunity, with several brands quickly joining in to milk the ‘doodh-kheer‘ message. Something similar happened recently when The Delhi Police decided to employ creative messaging to promote road safety among citizens.
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Delhi Police’s Creative Road Safety Advisory
The official social media accounts of Delhi Police posted an image of three billboards. The first hoarding features Netflix promoting its series ‘Killer Soup’. It reads, “Craving a killer soup? Watch now.” The second billboard is of Swiggy, saying, “Craving a soup? Order now.” However, in a creative twist, the Delhi Police used a third hoarding to redirect attention to safe driving, effectively countering the allure of the previous two.
It said, “Craving for hospital soup? We hope not. Drive carefully. 🚓” The caption of their post succinctly conveyed the message: “Craving par nahi, driving par dhyan do”. The Delhi Police consistently employs creative posts on social media to raise awareness about road safety, safe driving, and other critical issues.
Brands Add To It
But what happened next? Many other brands jumped at the opportunity to extend the whole “soup cravings” narrative.
Spotify India
We spotted Spotify India join in saying “Craving a soup song?” as they went on to suggest streaming ‘Why This Kolaveri Di? The Soup Of Love‘ by Dhanush and Anirudh Ravichander that went viral in 2011.
Bumble India
The online dating platform got on board as well. Bumble India created a billboard that said, “Soup tastes better when shared one-by-two.” Their caption took a dig at Netflix’s tagline – “Now streaming steaming 🥣“
Shaadi.com
The online matrimony platorm didn’t hold back either. Shaadi.com‘s hoarding compared the cosy feeling of sipping a warm soup to that of a warm hug from your significant other, whom you can find on shaadi.com. Their post caption was again a play on Netflix’s iconic ‘Tudum‘. It said, “Jo tudum saath ho👉🏻👈🏻”
Ajio
Ajio found a very creative way of product placement. They highlighted the efficiency of their winter wear by calling them warmer than a soup. That sassy caption tho!
Axis Bank
While Netflix promised to satiate your killer soup content cravings, Axis Bank is here to bring you convenience while banking with them. ‘Open’ by Axis Bank has got you covered for all your banking needs across the board.
Goibibo
Goibibo took the soup cravings to the next level by suggesting you get a taste of authentic soups by booking your travel on their app.
“Order bhi karo, watch bhi, aur authentic soups ka mazaa lena hai, toh get set to travel. From Kerala-style coconut delight Thengai Paal Soup to the Vietnamese Pho, authentic soups ka mazaa lene chalein kya? And oh… @swiggyindia and @netflix_in , come let’s bond over soup. What say?” said their caption.
Netflix responded by saying, “Ah yes, the soup-erb trinity ❤️“
Vim
Vim‘s out here pointing out the more important things like washing that soup bowl once you satisfy your cravings. They captioned their post as yet another wordplay on Netflix’s tagline, “Now Streaming Cleaning.“
Lets Shave
The beauty, cosmetic and personal care brand Lets Shave had a different way of looking at this soup-y billboard banter series. Rather than focusing on the soup cravings, they chose to look at the plot of the movie – being partners in crime.
“From streaming to sizzling connections and looking your best together, Bumble, Netflix, and LetsShave redefine the art of shared experiences. 📱 Swipe, 🍿 Watch, ✂️ Shave – Elevate every moment!” said their caption.
Netizens were only too happy to witness the banter. They had a great time watching every brand bring in their USP while adding on to the existing trend. And so did we. We hope you did too!
