Bajaj Discover Ad: Discover the Truth

Watch the recent Bajaj Discover bike commercial if you haven't. It appears to be oh-so-interesting what with a village where people speak only Sanskrit being just a one-liter drive from Mangalore. (Link from Bajaj site here and youtube link here – neither of which might be permanent!)



Dear Bajaj Auto, don't you think your ad companies could do with just a little fact-checking before releasing this factually flawed ad to the public? For,

  • The ad claims that Mattur is 100 kms from Mangalore. Err, Mattur is actually 6 kms from the district headquarter city of Shimoga; which in turn is about 200 kms from Mangalore and 280 kms from Bangalore. What's that? You want proof? Go drive from Mangalore to Shimoga – you'll get ample proof. I could post links to google maps or other distance calculators here, but I won't. It is your job to have verified it first.

  • I have been to Mattur village. And although it is true that villagers speak Sanskrit, they use the language to converse among themselves. I spent a couple of hours at the village conversing only in Kannada. For gods' sake, you expect the public to believe that the villagers will start speaking in Sanskrit with every tourist or visitor who comes there? Get outta here!


It is understandable that the ad industry is cut-throat and they need to just exaggerate a bit. But claiming that the distance between two cities is half of what it actually is – that's taking it a bit too far. It only serves to diminish the credibility of the companies involved. What's next? Will Bajaj claim that Shimla is less than a one-liter drive from Delhi?


3 comments to Bajaj Discover Ad: Discover the Truth

  • Kiran,you can writ in to the Ad club Bombay and they take appropriate action against the advertisers.

  • Will have to wait to get home to see the video. But I’m wondering what they were gaining by misrepresenting these facts! N good job, on observing the flaw!

  • Incognito

    Definitely, an ad that suggests revival of samskritam in any way should be banned.

    While we enjoy all those ads showing whites as role models while we ape the west.

    Way to go.

    Its after all, Jai Ho! instead of Jai Hind!

    There is a whole psychology behind this nitpiking at the bajaj ad.
    This page may give some ideas- http://rajivmalhotra.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=0&Itemid=9

    Hopefully you may realize it some time in your life.

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