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Ola cabs’ sexist ad that showed that a cab ride was cheaper than having a girlfriend received much flak on Twitter earlier this week.
A new ad was uploaded on Ola Cab’s official You Tube channel earlier this week. In the ad, that was titled ‘too expensive to take girlfriend out on a date’, a guy is seen walking through a busy market with his girlfriend. The guy has to stops every now and then as the woman uses her cloy charm to make him buy things she picks out.
What the ad tried to reinforce was that Ola’s new cab service ‘Micro’ is cheaper than taking a woman out on a date. However, the company forgot that half of its audience is women who are human and also posses the power of understanding, interpreting and responding likewise to derogatory ideas and messages.
The ad feeds off the stereotypical cliche that women try to manipulate men and con them into buying things they want using their corny charm.
But at a time when women are running the boardroom, going on solo vacations, travelling the world on their own, this run down idea of being just glamorous dolls who are heavily dependent on the mercies of men to fulfill their ambitions is not only sexist but also outrageous.
The sexist message that the ad bolstered was severely criticized on Twitter.
The public outburst led to the pulling down of the distasteful ad. However, the company was unapologetic about it. Take a look at the company’s apology tweet and the reply to the tweet:
Image: You Tube
A part time backpacker, an accidental baker, a doting mother, a loving wife, a pampered
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