Mobility platform Ola is looking to criss-cross its way through labyrinthine roads and gridlocks of India in a big way and has launched a campaign to showcase its micro-mobility offering called Ola Bike that’s now present in 150 cities and towns.
The new video campaign, under the slogan ‘Ab khulenge naye raaste’ (new paths open up now), positions Ola Bike as an agile, affordable and hassle-free solution to everyday travel and last-mile connectivity.
Conceptualised and executed by Leo Burnett Orchard, the campaign is designed to strengthen Ola Bike’s core proposition of agility, convenience and accessibility. The campaign is spearheaded by a short video ad using a humorous storytelling arc to drive home the message. The video features protagonist ‘Inder’ smooth-sailing through a small town’s gridlocked roads and serpentine lanes on an Ola Bike, pitted against his not-so-smart counterpart ‘Parminder’ who struggles through traffic in sweaty shared rides. Ola invokes the user to make the smarter choice like Inder, who has chosen convenience, affordability and a quicker way to commute with Ola Bike. The narrative plays on the brand’s mission of providing access to customers across all forms of mobility that are tailor-made for the Indian road conditions and the targeted user base.
The presence of helmets worn by both the rider and the customer, and a reflective jacket worn by the driver; both displaying the Ola logo — underscores the company’s commitment to safety and adherence to road discipline.
The campaign will not only resonate with commuters in big cities where bikes help navigate through narrow lanes and congested roads but also find special relevance across small towns and cities in India where two-wheelers are ubiquitous and are an affordable and more readily-available alternative to cars and autos.
Aishvarya Murali, Head of Marketing at Ola, said, “Ola Bike is now in 150 cities and rapidly expanding into more cities and towns across India. The campaign reinforces Ola’s understanding of the needs of commuters across the country and establishes Ola Bike as a simple solution to a real-world problem. We believe the TVC hits home with every Indian, whether in large metropolitan areas or in the smallest of towns.
“Since its introduction in 2016, Ola Bike has seen rapid adoption across the country amongst both consumers and bike-partners. We’ve seen tremendous demand arising from both, cities and towns, a clear indication of the success of the offering and the value it offers to consumers.”
Rajdeepak Das, Managing Director India and Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett South Asia at Leo Burnett Orchard, said, “Following in the footsteps of previous campaigns, this campaign captures everyday situations in an Indian commuter’s life and reflects their thoughts in these moments. The idea was to take a step ahead and reiterate to our target audience why Ola Bike is the ideal choice for first and last-mile connectivity. We are very excited to present this campaign that reflects Ola’s commitment to offer its users hassle-free convenience and the power to choose their ride.”
The campaign will be showcased on digital, video, social, OOH and broadcast platforms, covering a number of consumer touchpoints.
The TVC:
Credits:
Client: Ola
Head of Marketing at Ola: Aishvarya Murali
Agency: Leo Burnett Orchard
Managing Director India and Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett South Asia at Leo Burnett Orchard: Rajdeepak Das