How Zomato Stands Out with Outdoor Advertisements?

outdoor advertising is one of the most effective marketing strategies today. If we have to choose a modern-day benchmark, our experts will pick Zomato. The food-delivery company targets Gen Z and uses pop culture references to make a spot for itself.
Beating the competition is not easy in today’s competitive market but Zomato stands out with its witty ideas & messages on outdoor billboards.
If you’re planning outdoor advertising campaigns for your business, you should learn it from Zomato.
This blog explores the key components of Zomato's outdoor ad campaign strategy and lessons you can use.

From the Head of Marketing, Zomato

Pramod Rao, the head of content and marketing says, “The thought process behind the campaign was to leverage outdoor media to catch attention, deliver the key message around online ordering, and create a recall.”

1. Zomato uses witty punchlines

Have you ever noticed how cleverly Zomato uses punchlines? Their marketing team uses a witty & memorable punchline to attract the audience. Messages such as ‘Ladka Nikal Gaya Hai’, ‘Mera Pizza Ghar Aaya’, ‘Oonchi Hai Building, Lift Teri Band Hai’ are the core highlights of Zomato outdoor ads.
Noticeably, these ads are divided into two parts. The first witty sentence is to attract an audience and the follow-up message is to share the business message or advertise the benefits.

For example-

• ‘Oonchi Hai Building, Lift Teri Band Hai’ was followed by ‘We’ll Still Deliver in Time’.
• ‘Nation Wants to Know, Ladka Nikal Gaya Hai’ was followed by ‘Get Live Delivery Updates’.
• ‘Iss Offer Ne to Fod Diya’ was followed by ‘Flat OFF up to INR 200’.

2. Zomato uses irresistible references to pop culture

One of Zomato's most attractive marketing factors is its pop culture references. They use dialogues and songs in ad campaigns, making viewers remember the golden days of the film industry.
Some of the most popular pop culture references from Zomato are ‘Kheer Mangoge, Kheer Dege’, ‘With Great Paav, Comes Great Bhaaji’, and ‘Oochi Hai Building’.

3. Zomato uses simple colors and minimal design

Outdoor advertising has two power factors to attract an audience, visuals & texts. It depends on the brands which one they want to go with. If we look into Zomato, they use texts as punchlines to capture attention and generate recall.
They have a clear idea of their target audience. The outdoor ads they create are meme-material which become internet sensations overnight. They play smartly and witty every time.

4. Zomato celebrates the culture

In October 2024, Zomato erected an interesting billboard in Belagavi, Karnataka. The billboard didn’t use any witty sentences or striking visuals. Instead, they chose simplicity, referring to the culture and festival vibes. Two different billboards were delivering:

• ‘Peak Celebration Often Include Pak’ followed by ‘Get Min Rs 125 OFF’.
• ‘Get a minimum of Rs 125 OFF to defeat the evil cravings’.

The first ad refers to festive foods especially Pakoras, a local favorite. The second one uses the phrase to refer to the concept of ‘good triumph over evil’.
Notably, Zomato featured the Kannada language to connect with residents and festival illustrations to celebrate the season.

The Controversy around Zomato Outdoor Ad

In 2017, Zomato launched an outdoor ad campaign and made a clever reference to foul language. Soon it went viral and Zomato faced backlash. Though some people supported the brand, it sparked debate about brand responsibility and creative freedom.
Zomato later removed those ads and handled the situation professionally.

Conclusion

Zomato is a genius when it comes to outdoor ads. They use pop-culture references, witty punchlines, and cultural elements to attract viewers. The punchlines are followed by real business messages.
If you’re thinking of taking inspiration from Zomato, go for it—but also learn from the controversy and maintain professional balance.
Want to launch an outdoor advertising campaign like Zomato? Contact Vigyapan Mart today.

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