What’s the Ad?
Another classic example of a funny yet poignant OOH was executed by quick-commerce behemoth Zepto and the matrimonial site Shaadi.com. Placed immediately beside the ad was an advertisement by Zepto, introducing Manyavar ethnic wear with the launch of its first delivery time in 10 minutes – the tagline said, ‘Manyavar chahiye? (Want Manyavar?) Manyavar in 10 minutes.” That’s why Shaadi.com released a cheeky response, saying, “Var chahiye? (Want a Groom?) Will take more than 10 minutes.”
The lightheartedness of the messaging wasn’t only utilitarian, in that it exposed the individual propositions of the brands: Zepto as the fastest delivery service, and Shaadi.com as a slower, more measured approach to matchmaking—but it also garnered appreciation for its creativity and wit.
The playful messaging not only highlighted the brands’ unique propositions—ultra-fast delivery for Zepto and a more deliberate matchmaking process for Shaadi.com but also sparked widespread admiration for its humor and ingenuity.
Why Did We Choose This Ad?
This campaign is a beautiful example of how integrated marketing communication can improve brand communication. While Zepto and Shaadi.com belong to completely different domains, their partnership proved that brands can only grow if they cease to function in separate verticals. Hence, the campaign was effective in targeting everybody, especially the young people since, The youthful people desire efficiency and anything that has to do with entertainment.
The founder of Shaadi.com, Anupam Mittal captured this shift brilliantly in his blockbuster post on LinkedIn where he made a point about how branding was earlier positioned on the ‘win-lose’ model and how the paradigm has shifted to a co-creation model that thrives on engagement and that marketing is all about marketing is all about the real-time now.
The Core Emotion Zepto is Trying to Communicate and to Whom
At its heart, Zepto’s ad isn’t just about speed- it’s about convenience and readiness. In the context of the wedding season, it taps into the stress of last-minute preparations, offering a solution that promises to ease the chaos. The target audience? Young urban consumers navigating a fast-paced lifestyle, often juggling multiple priorities. The underlying message: “We’ve got you covered, no matter how urgent the need.”
Why Does This Ad Resonate with the Indian Audience?
This campaign’s success lies in its cultural relevance. Weddings in India are a blend of grandeur and meticulous planning, yet they’re often riddled with last-minute chaos. Zepto’s promise of delivering wedding attire in minutes, paired with Shaadi.com’s acknowledgment of the time-intensive search for a life partner, struck a chord with Indian audiences.
The playful banter, steeped in colloquial humor (“Vadhu chahiye?” “Manyavar chahiye?”), made the campaign instantly relatable. Moreover, the timing- during the peak of the wedding season- ensured it garnered maximum visibility and impact.
The cultural impact extended beyond the ads. The light-hearted exchanges between Anupam Mittal and Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha on LinkedIn added a layer of charm to the campaign, turning it into a conversation starter. Their banter, peppered with family humor (“Mom LinkedIn par hain!”), reflected a relatable slice of modern Indian life, further amplifying the campaign’s appeal.
The Results of This Campaign
This clever collaboration achieved what every ad campaign aspires to: virality and engagement.
Online Engagement: Anupam Mittal posted a lengthy update on LinkedIn about the commercials which garnered thumbs up, shares, comments, and active engagement well beyond the actual launch. This happiness got contagious and followers of Zepto and Shaadi.com took on the same spirit and made it go viral in social media.
Brand Recall: The peculiar messages made sure both brands were always on people’s minds throughout the holiday season, when people are most likely to be distracted by countless other advertisements. Manyavar ethnic wear got the visibility it would when Zepto launched and Shaadi.com refreshed people about its service, which plays a part in one of the most important events in anyone’s life.
Collaborative Branding Trend: The campaign turned out to be a perfect example of the contemporary branding strategies with collaboration and the sense of humor as key success factors. Other brands such as Ferns N Petals followed this campaign as proved in the subsequent effect in the industry.
Zepto and Shaadi.com have come up with a campaign which represents a brand that is not just goods which are being advertised; brands are stimuli for conversations. It is a textbook example of how combining fast pace, comedy and cultural currency can work the magic of enchantment across a wide audience. Whether you just finally decided to start planning for the holidays, or you are one of those who started planning years before this campaign was even launched, everyone was reached, and we all were left with that smile – and so much more to talk about even after the billboards and the jingles that came with this campaign were all gone.
Campaign Creative
