Yatra.com has people reveal their reasons to travel in new ad

The reasons range from visiting one's girlfriend or getting dumped to going back home and eating maa ke haath ka khana.

From people quitting their well-paying corporate jobs to pay heed to this calling to brands using it in their communications to get into the minds of people, wanderlust was once the hottest and buzziest term in the world.

Unfortunately, the pandemic put a lid on the buzz. No more travel, not even to the next district without a thousand thoughts about health and safety and infection running through your mind first.

But, Yatra.com, one of India's leading travel portals wants to step up the engine and bring the buzz back around travel. Yes, the pandemic remains but airlines ply again and so are people looking to travel. Thus, the travel portal has launched its digital campaign #ReasonToTravel to build consumer confidence and re-ignite the love for travel amongst them.

Made by an agency called Indian Story Tellers, this 'confessional' ad has people revealing their reasons to travel. One wanted to travel back home to his mom's home-cooked food, someone else had to travel to attend his own wedding while another must travel to meet his girlfriend or else a breakup will ensue... the reasons were aplenty.

Commenting on this new campaign, Shweta Singhal, head of marketing & new business initiatives, Yatra.com, "Over the last couple of years, we have seen that the pace of urban life drove Indians to take frequent, short vacations to break the monotony of their daily lives. However, due to the COVID - 19 pandemic, individuals were unable to travel. The campaign #ReasonToTravel spreads the message that it is time to travel again and aims to rekindle the desire to be on the move.”

As a prelude to this digital campaign, the company is running contests on their social media platforms asking individuals to share their #ReasonToTravel and win gift vouchers.

To understand this communication better, we spoke to Carlton D'Silva, co-founder, House of Awe, who remarked, "It's really strange to see an ad out for a travel brand because let's face it ... The skies are really not open." He further said that when it comes to the ad, clearly it's quite fake... "get everyone to a single location, everyone gives a good reason to travel and then pepper it with a few ridiculous ones ... and oh not to forget we are oblivious of the pandemic cause there is not a mask in sight even if it's in a working environment!"

Granted its an ad and we need to see them speak but then in times like these what is the message we are sending? "They could have done the same in a closed environment but they chose to make this ad in a working environment with people around. Bad choices all around," signed off D'Silva.