If you’ve recently walked into a gym only to be trolled mid-rep, you’re not alone. Shaadi.com’s latest out-of-home (OOH) campaign has caught the attention of social media users and gym-goers alike, taking a cheeky jab at singlehood, right where it hurts.
With lines like “weights hi utha lo, nakhre uthane ke liye toh koi nahi hai” and “na spotter dhoond pa rahe ho na soulmate”, the matrimony platform has swapped its usual digital pitch for a more visceral, high-engagement medium: gym posters. Strategically placed inside gyms, the campaign leverages highly relatable, gym-specific humour to connect with young urban singles.
Creative execution
From “kab tak ispe chadoge, ghodi pe bhi chadh lo” to “lovelife bhi waise hi skip kar rahe ho jaise leg day”, each poster doubles down on gym tropes to deliver a pointed reminder of romantic loneliness, with a smirk.
The creative execution signals a shift in how matchmaking platforms are communicating with digitally native audiences. While Shaadi.com has typically focused on narratives around compatibility and family-approved partnerships, this campaign dials up self-awareness and humour, tapping into meme culture and lifestyle marketing.
Growing trend
Industry watchers say the campaign reflects a growing trend of brands integrating contextual marketing into fitness spaces, where the overlap between aspiration and vulnerability is high. The virality was instant, with screenshots and photos of the posters flooding LinkedIn and Instagram feeds, often accompanied by reactions ranging from amused resignation to mock outrage. One user quipped, “I was just here to scroll in peace,” while another wrote, “Now even my gym is asking me to get married?”
With young Indians increasingly delaying marriage, Shaadi.com’s campaign walks the fine line between jest and judgement, but manages to stay on the right side with its witty tone and contextual relevance. Whether it translates to more rishta scrolls remains to be seen, but it has certainly lifted the brand’s social visibility, no spotter needed.