Ola: Ola’s ‘8 missed calls from mom’ ad backfires, netizens call it a ‘terrible clickbait’

A recent marketing stunt by cab service provider Ola didn’t go as planned. In a move to boost its reach, Ola sent out a notification to customers on their mobile app using the age-old fear inducing one-liner that reads “missed calls from your mom”. However, it didn’t go down well as many criticised the notification by Ola, calling it a “terrible clickbait”.

The promo sent by Ola read: “8 missed calls from mom” – followed by “she wanted to tell you that there’s 40 per cent off on fruits and veggies at Ola Dash. She also wants you to stop eating
bahar ka khana (outside food) so much.”

People took to Twitter and other social media platforms to slam Ola, saying that the notification induced panic, while it was also a trigger for others who have recently lost their mothers or live far away from home.

A LinkedIn user slammed the marketing stunt saying that it was done in “poor taste”. Talking about “advertising ethics”, Kartik Bhatt, Chief Operating Officer of Sharaf Retail said “Recently came across a poorly built campaign from Ola. A banner notification with 5-20 missed calls from MOM would flash on the mobile – setting a panic – followed by a silly 40% off on their services.”

“Imagine the impact of such an advert on people like me who recently lost their mothers/ or people who live away from their ailing mothers …. The advert is a click bait tactic – but strikes a poor chord and leaves a very bitter aftertaste,” he said.

Many others on Twitter echoed the sentiment and called Ola’s latest advertisement “insensitive” .

“‘8 missed calls from mom’, followed by a 40% off promo! This is a terrible clickbait by Ola,” a user wrote on the micro-blogging site.

The incident with Ola happened just a day after e-commerce company Flipkart found itself in trouble for its Women’s Day campaign where the company had sent out a message promoting kitchen appliances.

“Dear Customer, This Women’s Day, let’s celebrate You. Get Kitchen Appliances from Rs 299,” read the message.

Several people on social media slammed Flipkart for being sexist, after which, the company issued an apology for “messing up”.

“We messed up and we are sorry. We did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments and apologise for the Women’s Day message shared earlier,” Flipkart wrote on Twitter.