As we begin to move towards normalcy with Unlock 2, India has started loosening restrictions and various cities are resuming action with businesses thriving once again. We at OYO Hotels & Homes understand the needs of our consumers who would rightly expect safety and sanitisation as they resume travel once again. Keeping up with our motto of providing ‘Sanitised Stays’ under which we have implemented several precautionary measures to maintain the highest levels of hygiene, cleanliness and minimal touch SOP we have rolled out our month-long campaign – ‘Fir Badhega India’. With this campaign, we aim to pay tribute to the spirit of 1.3 billion Indians as they gear up to move forward with hope and resilience.
‘Fir Badhega India’ plays on the reality of today with the heartwarming Indian touch where strangers are coming together, helping each other and moving forward with utmost precaution. The film features an old shopkeeper/chaiwala(a representation of the countless small businesses that are now returning to work) who struggles to open the shutter of his little shop after months of lockdown. Soon we see a young passerby taking a minute out of his own schedule to help the old shopkeeper lift the shutter once again. They exchange pleasantries and without wasting another second, the good Samaritan rushes off to work. The film showcases health and safety precautions practised by both the protagonists. There are also glimpses of OYO’s minimal touch experiences observed by the young staff executive, including temperature checks on entering the hotel, opening the door using his shoulder, the use of protective equipment such as masks and gloves, placement of hand sanitisers at high touchpoints and mention of OYO’s 10-step room sanitisation process.
The campaign has been conceptualised by OYO’s in-house brand team, produced by K Silent films and directed by Anand Karir. The music for this film has been composed by Hanif Shaikh and sung by a Kashmiri folk singer – Noor Mohammed accompanied by a Rubab, an Afghan musical instrument that he plays himself. The theme of the music is centred around welcoming brighter times ahead, beautifully interpreted by the folk singer as ‘spring arriving in the valley’. The film is currently LIVE across all of OYO’s digital platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and OTT platforms. OYO will release the campaign on all its organic and paid channels and make it visible to its partner and consumer network.
Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand – OYO Hotels & Homes commenting on the purpose of the campaign said, “Living responsibly, maintaining adequate distance, offering safe, sanitised experiences is par for the course today. It is the responsibility of each individual and business. OYO and our hotel partners will make sure we offer exactly that for our guests.”
He adds, “Here’s the bigger picture for us, however, and the role we play in it. India is damned if it sits at home, doomed if it steps outside. In these circumstances, our priority has to be to help each other. We help thousands of our partners open up, deep clean and sanitise. They help thousands of allied businesses that supply and service them get back up and running. Add up the workforce that comes back to work in all of these businesses and you’re talking hundreds of thousands of people. Most importantly, we all come together to take care of our guests who need to get their life back on track. Our guests, in turn, help all of us and our employees by allowing us to host them. We wanted to be optimistic and not antiseptic in our messaging. We are all nirbhar (dependent) on each other to be atma nirbhar (independent). It is only then that India will rise again. Fir Badhega India!”
We have also introduced a ‘Sanitised Stays’ safety tag across all OYO booking platforms for properties that follow enhanced hygiene procedures, provides a minimal-touch experience and protective equipment across several countries, including India.
Watch the video below to see small nuances of the new-normal way of life!
