TV ads featuring Hrithik and Katrina were conceptualised 6 months ago: Clarifies Zomato after its campaign draws mixed reactions on social media

• After Zomato’s Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif ads drew mixed reactions on social media, it has now released a statement clarifying that the campaign was conceptualised 6 months ago.
• The ads were called tone-deaf and Twitterati said that Zomato hired celebrities to divert the conversation around gig workers payouts and working conditions.
• Zomato also said that it will soon upload a blog explaining how its delivery partners are fairly compensated for the work/time they put in.

Zomato’s first-ever celebrity-led campaign has drawn mixed reactions on social media. Some declared that the campaign is creative, relatable and while a number of others said that it was released to simply control the damage caused by the controversial Danish Sait video.

Sait’s video drew flak from netizens for not depicting the realities of the profession, where he took on the roles of a Zomato delivery boy for a day in a bid to humanise the delivery personnel.

However, Zomato has now released a statement on Twitter clarifying that the campaign featuring Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan was conceptualised six months ago, ‘long before any social media chatter around gig worker payouts and working conditions.’

Conceptualised by McCann Worldgroup India, ‘Har Customer Hai Star’ Campaign aims to convey that all consumers hold an equally special place in Zomato’s heart.


The campaign, however, was called ‘tone-deaf’ and some netizens said that Zomato hired celebrities to divert the conversation around gig worker payouts and working conditions.



According to Zomato’s statement, here is what the foodtech platform intended to achieve through its campaign:

• Make delivery partners the hero of the ad
• Highlight that we should talk respectfully to delivery partners (like Hrithik and Katrina do in the ad, and very few other people do)
• Raise the level of dignity associated with a delivery’s partner’s job
• Demonstrate with pride which most of our delivery partners serve our customers with
• Last but not least, reiterate that every customer is a star for us and no less than Hrithik or Katrina

Zomato’s statement further addresses various concerns pointed out by Twitter users and mentions that its Net Promoter Score (NPS) has been increased from -10% to 28%. It also said that it will soon upload a blog explaining how its delivery partners are fairly compensated for the work/time they put in.