Yes! Today is the day. Probably the biggest event of the year. The India-Pakistan cricket match during the World Cup. An over-sold stadium, overpriced yet overbooked hotels, homestays in short supply, traffic on the streets, beer and biryani stocked in large supplies. Excitement is at its peak. No matter where you are today, at the stadium or in your homes, every Indian is sharing the same feelings of excitement, anticipation and patriotism.
It’s not just people who are soaking in this incredible atmosphere, brands are doing everything they can to capitalise on this moment. Travel solutions company MakeMyTrip, has released an ad that is not only hilarious but so well written and executed that we can’t help but smile continuously while reading. The ad is a perfect example of what moment marketing should be.
If you haven’t guessed already, it’s not a digital campaign but a simple print ad. This ‘sorry not sorry’ advertisement, conceptualised by creative agency Enormous has created a massive buzz on the internet today, being shared by the likes of ex-cricketer Virender Sehwag as well as Ashneer Grover, co-founder of CrickPe.
Na Ishq mein na Pyaar mein .
Jo mazza hai Pakistan ki haar mein.Aise kaun invite karta hai yaar 🤣
Sahi khel gaye MMT ! pic.twitter.com/xfN9sk98sG
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) October 14, 2023
The ad is a simple yet unapologetic letter to our neighbours requesting them to forget all rivalries for today. India is a country known for its hospitality towards guests. ‘Atithi Devi Bhava’, a tradition that resonates with every Indian. Thus, even if the loss for Pakistan is too grave, MakeMyTrip will do everything it can to assure that it’s a softened blow. Hence, in-keeping with the tradition of Atithi Devi Bhava’, MakeMyTrip has listed a few offers, and it’s not a leap for us to say that these are some of the best offerings and discounts that any brand has given in a long time.
Ashish Khazanchi, managing partner, Enormous said, “We were anyway doing a campaign for MakeMyTrip with super-fans. Through the conversations, we figured that we could do something about this moment which presents itself right now, which is the biggest in cricket anywhere in the world – this unparalleled rivalry between India and Pakistan.”
“When we spoke to MMT, we figured that even from a business angle there could be things done which could aid in communication. So, India-Pakistan traditionally, there has been a fair amount of Indian advertising also from across the border. There has always been some ribbing, some light-hearted leg-pulling, etc. We thought that this concept could become our basis for this ad,” he added.
The ad is a simple print ad. However, it makes use of humour, memes and a little bit of roasting to give the ad a good flavour. Of course, when Pakistan is terribly defeated today and if it is too big a pill to swallow, they can always rest it out at one of MakeMyTrip’s homestays or villas.
Khazanchi also mentioned, “If it is an event of this kind of an intensity and there is communication which takes a stand out there, there are going to be people bound to be on both sides of the fence. Thankfully, there are more people on this side of the fence with a nice little smile on their faces. It’s a joke well told.”