Over the years, several iconic ads have graced our screens dating back to the old school washing powder ads to newer ad campaigns like that of CRED. Embodying these ideals, a store in Kolkata gave the internet another hilarious ad for the ages.
The ad first popped up on a Reddit thread with the title, "This is next level advertisement." The picture accompanying the post is a newspaper cliping from The Telegraph dated 26 December 2021.
The advertisement was for a sherwani store called ‘Sultan’ in Kolkata's New Market. They came up with a 'Missing Persons' ad reportedly in the Sports section which contained the description of a 'missing' 24-year-old Majnu'.
The ad read, "Please come home, everyone is very upset. We have accepted both your demands. ‘Laila’ shall be your bride and the wedding sherwani will be purchased from Sultan – The King of Sherwani. However, we shall go to their New Market branch since car parking facility is available.”
The fact that there was an emphasis on the availability of parking at the store added to the amusement. The last lines of the ad mentioned the contact details of the store and a social media. The brand has a history of issuing these amusing ad copies featuring Majnu.
While many people loved the ad for its ingenuity, others criticised the use of a 'Missing Persons' format. One user wrote, "IMO, this kind of advertising is unethical and sets a bad precedent. A missing person's advert is a genuine call for help. If we start wrongfully exploiting such ads for whimsical purposes like this, they lose meaning. It might lead to people assuming they are bait and ignoring them."
Another person commented, "Just imagine parents and families being this considerate. Goli maro log kya kahenge ko." One user wrote, "Wwowww - Creativity level mars," and another called it a "modern world advertisement."
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