Karachi, March 18, 2019: Careem, the riding hailing app, has invited an undue and merciless criticism in the society after it unveiled a billboard with an unconventional message that is widely believed as an immoral and unethical.
The images of the billboard have been made viral on the social media and have become a talk to town in different segments of society, which termed its extremely indecent, immoral, and annoying for public at large leading towards the demand of boycott of the service.
A campaign also started against the Careem on Twitter and it become on of top trend as over 10k tweets were registered in few hours with hashtag of #BoycottCareem, #DeleteCareemApp and #DownWithCareem.
The billboard advertisement showed a bride wants to run on her wedding day and will take
Careem bike with no worries.
“Apni Shaadi is bhagna ho tou Careem bike karo”Initially, people considered it as a fake image of the billboard aimed at defaming the brand however, the officials revealed it a genuine advertisement of Careem set up at different locations.
People not only on social media but in different circle declared them a tool of cheap publicity and demanded this billboard to be removed immediately from various locations. They also demand to uninstall the app to stage a protest with the management of the Careem till the removal of the billboard with unethical theme.
A section of the people also attributed the advertisement billboard to the mindset and philosophy of Aurat March that also projected immoral messages in its campaign recently held in different cities.
Public believed that such campaigns are extremely damaging and against the values of the country.
How do you explain the message to your 5 years daughter? A person raised a question. There must be a limit of cheap publicity.
Careem Advertisement Violates Code of Conduct and advertisement of the Careem also violated the code of conduct prescribed by the Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS).
It states that, The right of advertising is a responsibility towards the consumers and the society at large. Specifically the society members will not create advertising that is:
“Statements, suggestions or pictures offensive to public decency or minority segments of the population.”
