New Delhi: Online travel company MakeMyTrip has been severely criticised for its advertisement ahead of Pakistan vs India ODI World Cup match on Saturday in Ahmedabad. The company offered discounts to Pakistani fans on travel to India based on the margin of Pakistans defeat in the highly anticipated face-off.
The company drew flak with many describing the ad as insensitive and tone deaf and making light of a serious issue.
In an apparent attempt to cash in on the Indian sentiments that usually run high during a contest with arch-rivals Pakistan, MakeMyTrip took out a full-page newspaper ad offering special discount codes to Pakistani fans in India applicable only if their team loses. The ad used the Sanskrit verse Atithi Devo Bhava or Guest is equivalent to God eliciting backlash from a section of the internet.
An open invitation to Pakistani fans, the MakeMyTrip ad began. Dear neighbours, lets take a moment and forget our rivalries. After all, its not every day that you visit us. Hope you wont mind us playing a good host. Its going to be a big day today
So, staying true to the Indian tradition of Atithi Devo Bhava we want to extend some heartfelt offers to you, the ad continued before revealing its offer to fans:
If Pakistan loses by:
10 wickets or 200 runs, get 50% off. Use code: BoysPlayedWell.
6 wickets or 100 runs, get 30% off. Use code: EkShaheenHaar.
3 wickets or 50 runs, get 10% off. Use code: NoMaukaMauka, MakeMyTrip promised Pakistani fans.
Meanwhile, as the ad was called out for being zero on humour and its condescending tone, hotel aggregator Homestays Villas in a social media post distanceditself from the advertisement and held makemytrip solely responsible for thiserror, We have no affiliation with this absolutely disgraceful advertisement published by makemytrip.
Homestays Villas further stated that they do notserve Pakistan citizens, Our country comes first before any business andwe do not serving [sic.] our property to Pakistan citizens.
We have no affiliation with this absolutely disgraceful advertisement published by @makemytrip. Our country comes first before any business and we do not serving our property to Pakistan citizens pic.twitter.com/YxBZ5mRN78
Homestays Villas (@thehomestays) October 14, 2023
Reactions:
While there were Indian fans who gave amused reactions to the ad, a large section slammed it for being distasteful.
Such a horrible ad. We are not a sporting nation!!!!
A sparring nation. pic.twitter.com/EiCJOQwMqy
Mini Nair (@minicnair) October 14, 2023
Horrible!! Horrible!! So thats one more brand to boycott for me at least what have we become??? Does any other country do this to Indian fans? And its not about any love fo Pakistan this is just a game even kids wont do this!
Binu Philip (@philbinu) October 14, 2023
As an Indian, I want to apologize to every Pakistani person for this @makemytrip ad. This does not represent Indian values. It only represents the worst among us. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/xzJ7GWd5hY
Rahul Fernandes (@newspaperwallah) October 14, 2023
To be sure, being crass and lacking grace is not a crime at all. You have every right to be as crass, coarse, and boorish as your heart wishes. But why make it an emulatable public stand, just to grab eyeballs, in the name of marketing? asked a communication strategy consultant on a post on his X handle.
When you have a choice, be a Cleartrip instead of MakeMyTrip.
Why, when the MakeMyTrip print ad clearly went places (and would continue to do so for a week, I reckon)? Thats marketing success, right?
Not really. Mere visibility and virality is not marketing success. pic.twitter.com/X8otvS30uD
Karthik ?? (@beastoftraal) October 15, 2023
Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag, who was among those amused by the ad, posted in Hindi: Love and romance dont bring the kind of joy that Pakistans defeat does well played, MMT.
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 Pakistan team is touring India for the first time since 2016 and played their biggest match of the World Cup against the home team at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the mega-contest. The chase of 192 runs seemed a cakewalk for India as skipper Rohit Sharma scored 86 off 63 balls with the help of six fours and six sixes.
