A photo of men walking with billboards advertising a food delivery app in Bengaluru has sparked outrage on the internet. The image, shared by entrepreneur Roshan, shows three men carrying illuminated advertisement boards for a 10-minute food delivery service at night. Roshan criticized the marketing strategy in his post, writing, “VC: how much funding do you need?
Startup: $5 million, VC: what’s your customer acquisition plan, Startup: Human ads, VC: Take my money.” He added, “This sucks.
Human billboards ethics debated
I would do it differently and not use human mules.”
The viral image has ignited a heated debate on social media about the ethics of using “human ads.” Many users expressed their discomfort with the practice, calling it “extremely dehumanizing.
One user commented, “Maybe it’s just me, but human ads make me so sad. They’ve been walking around with that heavy thing on their backs for god knows how long.” Another remarked, “I don’t know how one sees this and doesn’t feel sick in their stomach.
Some users pointed out the exploitation of cheap labor in India, with one commenting, “India with cheap labor at its disposal, always ready to get exploited in multiple ways.
This reminds me of people who held lamps over their heads in shadi ki barat.”
However, a few defended the practice, noting that companies have long used such advertisements to generate buzz on the streets. The story has sparked a broader conversation about ethical advertising practices, particularly in regions where labor is inexpensive and often exploited. The delivery app company has not yet responded to the controversy.
