OYO's new ad busts ‘cheap love hotel' stereotype; highlights premium offerings

This ad is conceptualised by Moonshot.

For the first time, multinational hospitality chain OYO is addressing the stereotype that its hotels are cheap and primarily used by couples for lovemaking. The company's new campaign 'Kya Baat Kar Rahe ho' seeks to redefine this perception and showcase OYO as a provider of quality hospitality experiences.

This initiative introduces a guest experience through innovative features like the quick check-in on the OYO app. To make finding and booking these premium properties easier, OYO has also introduced a new tag on its app, simplify finding and booking the hotel on the app.

Partnering with the creative agency Moonshot, founded by Tanmay Bhat and Devaiah Bopanna OYO’s campaign aims to transform outdated perceptions and highlight the brand’s commitment to providing premium experiences for families, friends, solo adventures, and every kind of traveler.

This advertisement was written by Tanmay Bhat, Devaiah Bopanna, Puneet Chadha and Deep Joshi from Moonshot. It is directed by Rahul Bharti with production handled by Sun City Studios.

The film opens with a young couple, Sunita and Rishabh, sitting at the dinner table with Sunita's parents and grandmother. When Sunita announces that they have booked an OYO for the weekend, her parents react with shock, humorously nodding to OYO’s past reputation as a "couples hotel." As the story unfolds, Rishabh invites the entire family, increasing their surprise. The narrative then shifts to reveal the family standing in a luxurious OYO hotel lobby, where they are amazed by the premium services and elegant surroundings.

The campaign creatively addresses and dispels outdated views of OYO, emphasizing its new focus on versatility. Whether it’s a family vacation, a weekend getaway with friends, a student studying for an exam, spending ‘me time’, or partying with friends - OYO now offers premium experiences for every type of traveler.

Ritesh Agarwal, founder & CEO of OYO, stated, "We are excited to reintroduce our new company-serviced hotels. Our goal is to provide a premium, reliable, and enjoyable stay for every type of traveler, and this step highlights our commitment to transforming perceptions and exceeding expectations."

Devaiah Bopanna, co-founder of Moonshot added, "Working on this campaign was a fantastic experience. We wanted to capture the surprise and delight of discovering the new OYO, and I hope we've done just that. The new OYO has something for everyone, and I hope this film helps convey that message."

These company-serviced properties, run and operated by OYO, are designed to elevate the stay experience.

For this edition of IPL, the brand launched a campaign showing people using the name of company's founder and CEO, Ritesh Agarwal to get free stay at their hotels.

In 2022, the company released a hilarious campaign that portrayed a family driving away for a holiday. The child sitting at the back gets fidgety and impatient. Hitting, biting and making a mess at the back, he keeps asking his parents “Assi Reach Gaye?” every few minutes. 

In recent years, the hospitality chain has consistently promoted itself as a family destination.