Zomat's plain red birthday ad has the internet using AI to recreate it: 'I guess it belonged to RedBus, Airtel...'

Zomat’s attempt to celebrate its 18th anniversary with a logo-less newspaper ad turned into an unexpected conundrum after readers struggled to identify the brand. The online food delivery company published a full-page ad in a leading national newspaper on July 10 without mentioning its logo or name. Instead, he relied entirely on his familiar red and white color palette, clearly betting on strong brand recognition.

The ad carried the line: “Thank you for keeping us in your hearts (and your bank statements).” A note was added at the bottom: “No logo required, you know who we are.”

Readers have trouble identifying the brand

Instead of immediately recognizing the campaign, many readers were unsure of its origins. Some believed it belonged to other well-known brands associated with similar colors, including Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank and RedBus.

The uncertainty prompted Zomato to acknowledge the campaign on X just hours after the paper reached homes across the country.

The company shared the anonymous ad, writing: “We’ve come a long way in the last 18 years, from canceling on twitter to canceling on X. Happy birthday.”

Zomato was founded in New Delhi on 10 July 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah.

Marketing experts are divided on the campaign

Although many readers did not recognize the ad, some branding experts said they recognized it immediately.

Marketing expert Vineet Chugh said in a LinkedIn post that he recognized the brand at first sight and called the campaign a confident move.

“I thought it was bold and confident, she thought it was overconfident and a waste of money,” Chugh wrote, adding that only a financially strong company like Zomato could afford to run a newspaper ad without featuring its logo.

Social media responds with praise, jokes and AI edits

The campaign sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with users offering both praise and criticism.

Some were surprised and added comments such as “Oh it’s you?”, while others insisted they originally assumed the ad was for a soft drink or toothpaste company. Even MBA graduates have admitted to keeping them guessing.

One user X quipped, “This is a great ad. It also shows that brand identity goes beyond just a logo. It’s about how you show up every day. Great job Kotak Mahindra Bank. Seriously impressive.”

Others took the opportunity to poke fun at the company.

“You’ve survived every cancellation…except the cancellation of affordable delivery fees,” one user commented.

Another user used AI to recreate the ad, adding an illustration of a delivery man carrying a bag of food on a motorbike, making the Zomato link more visible.

Another popular response was “You have now officially declared the color red”.

Another wrote: Believed to have belonged to ‘RedBus or Airtel’.