If the history of memes in Kerala is to be written at some point then the Palarivattom flyover that’s set for partial demolition deserves more than a mere mention in it.
For, hardly ever before has a failed public infrastructure project triggered the creative spark for so many successful guffaw-inducing memes.
A multi-cuisine restaurant at Thalassery took it to another level by deftly running an advertisement campaign around the soon-to-be partially demolished flyover. Of the two advertisements released on Sunday, and have since gone viral on the social media, one promoted Puttu (a steam-cooked dish) as Palarivattom Puttu with the tag line “a construction prone to collapse on touch” in an obvious reference to the flyover found too weak to withstand the pressure of vehicular traffic.
The second advertisement has the pyramid-shaped Ghee Roast named after Maradu describing it as “built for demolition” drawing attention to four apartment complexes the demolition of which the apex court had ordered.
High recall value
Both the advertisements, thanks to their recall value, have evoked a lot of interest among its clients reflecting in the increased demand for both the featured dishes, said V.K. Biju, manager of the restaurant.
The concept for both the advertisements was developed through the collective brainstorming of the restaurant management and hotel staff and was finetuned by the advertisement agency.
“We have been running ad campaigns based on contemporary incidents since our launch six months ago. These two advertisements were also created in a similar way. We, however, realise that their impact will be short-lived,” Mr. Biju said.
