Mumbai: Homegrown bike taxi app Rapido has announced its first celebrity campaign ‘Smart ho, toh Rapido,’ featuring Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and South superstar Allu Arjun.
The brand’s strategic objective behind the campaign is to portray itself as a customer-centric brand and educate people about its key offerings and USPs. This is the first time the company has roped in film superstars to spread awareness about its services, intending to strengthen its presence in the market.
The two films- one for Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM) and the other for Non-HSM markets, are directed by Sizil Srivastava (HSM) &Trivikram Srinivas (Non-HSM) respectively while being produced by Dream Vault Media. Going live from Friday, the six-week campaign will air on OOH, radio, TV, and digital platforms pan India, focusing on 14 cities.
Commenting on the announcement, Rapido head of marketing Amit Verma said, “We are delighted to introduce our first celebrity campaign with Ranveer Singh and Allu Arjun. Both these brilliant actors will help us seed the idea of using Rapido as an alternative yet regular medium of travel among the masses, ushering in an era of affordable and convenient daily commute."
As a part of the ad campaign, Ranveer Singh and Allu Arjun will entertain their fans by enacting the roles of Babban and Guru, both street-smart characters who will guide the daily commuters fed up with the hassles of traveling via crowded buses/autos to opt for a smart option like Rapido. The campaign aims to showcase that the bike taxis offered by Rapido can swiftly cut through the traffic to offer timely, convenient, and pocket-friendly rides.
Speaking on the campaign, Ranveer Singh said, “I am glad to be associated with Rapido. I really enjoyed collaborating on our first campaign together. It was a delightful experience shooting for this ad film, playing a peculiar character (Babban) who has a unique and original style and persona. Rapido is all set to make waves and I’m happy to contribute my bit in what I’m sure will be a successful endeavor."
“I like to consider myself as a person who knows how to tackle a situation with the best possible solution. That’s why I was excited when Rapido approached me for the role of Guru, which resembles me. What Rapido is doing is quite exceptional and I’m happy to be a part of this campaign, which will help them scale their market presence to new heights," added Allu Arjun.
The company also revealed that its commitment to the hyperlocal delivery sector has allowed the app to recover its overall revenue by 85 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels. Post acquiring $52 million funding in August, the company is all set to scale its business operations, including expanding its auto fleet to five lakh by the end of 2021, it further disclosed.
