Zomato, a platform often associated with the urban elite, has humorously shattered this image with its latest advertising campaign. Celebrating its 16th birthday, Zomato took over a leading Delhi NCR newspaper with a full-page ad styled after Indian political billboards. The ad featured a large photograph of founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal, dubbed “Company Pramukh,” and smaller images of the company’s C-suite executives.
The ad’s text, written in Hindi, read: “16th janamdin par aap sabhi ko apna pyar barsane ke liye koti koti dhanyavaad (On our 16th birthday, a big thanks to all of you for showering us with love).” This heartfelt message was accompanied by an invitation for all Zomato customers to join in the birthday celebrations with a special one-day offer: Zomato Gold for ₹30 for six months. The ad quickly garnered attention and praise, including from Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to commend Zomato’s creativity and congratulate Deepinder Goyal and his team.
ज़ोमाटो के १६वें जन्मदिन पर, प्रमुख श्री दीपिंदर जी व उनकी कार्यकारिणी के सभी सदस्यों को हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं ! ????????????????
भगवान करे उनके ऐसे अति सराहनीय विज्ञापन हमको हमेशा हमेशा मिलते रहें ???? pic.twitter.com/5hWFYmXHfg— Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) July 10, 2024
In a daring marketing move, Zomato has also launched a unique roast show featuring stand-up comedian Samay Raina. This unconventional campaign marks Zomato’s 16th anniversary and showcases the brand’s willingness to take risks in its promotional strategies. The first clip, released by Raina, humorously critiqued Zomato’s pop-up notifications and customer support, and even featured Raina wearing a T-shirt from Zomato’s competitor, Swiggy. Notably, Deepinder Goyal was in the audience, lending authenticity and endorsement to the event.
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The second clip, featuring comedian Gaurav Kapoor, was equally hilarious. Kapoor joked about a Zomato delivery guy being faster than Deepinder Goyal’s Aston Martin, with Goyal himself and Albinder Dhindsa, co-founder of Blinkit, seen enjoying the show. According to sources, more comedians like Shreeja Chaturvedi and Swati Sachdeva will join this roast battle. Zomato has encouraged these comedians to be as brutal as possible with their jokes, ensuring a no-holds-barred comedic experience.
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The clips from other comedians will be released on Zomato’s social media channels as part of this campaign, aiming to engage and entertain their audience while celebrating the company’s milestone. This approach is reminiscent of Netflix’s roast format used to promote films and shows, but with a twist—this time, it’s the brand itself under the comedic lens.
Zomato’s innovative and bold marketing strategies reflect the company’s commitment to connecting with its audience in unique and entertaining ways. By turning a simple birthday celebration into a multi-faceted campaign, Zomato has once again demonstrated its ability to stay ahead of the curve and resonate with its customers. As the brand continues to grow, such creative initiatives will likely keep it at the forefront of the food delivery industry.
