Slamvich just tried to be a little too creative. 

With the number of restaurants popping up recently, a lot of restauranteurs have found that they need to do something different to get themselves to rise above the noise. And one way to do that is with good marketing.

Unfortunately, this Karachi eatery confused good marketing with sleazy tactics and missed the mark by a wide margin.

While their advertisement definitely did catch everyone’s attention with its solid concept and well-designed graphic, it was cheap.

A lot of people will peg this down as a joke which meant no harm, it really isn’t as innocuous as you might think. Making light of an issue as serious as workplace harassment is just not cool.

It is disrespectful to those who have been subjected to workplace harassment to make light of the issue.

We have already seen them women and men who are brave enough to report harassment in the workplace face a lot of hurdles and most of them don’t even get their concerns heard and may even end up losing their jobs. The instance of employees fighting cases against their companies on harassment is rare and even rarer still, instances of them actually winning.

Thus to make light of an issue which people are already struggling to raise awareness about is not just insensitive but also counterproductive.

So while Slamvich might have achieved the purpose of getting their name out there by putting out such a graphic, they did it at the cost of an important issue we need more awareness about. They seem to be following the example which Hardee’s has set in the past by coming out with questionable ads. 

And a lot of people seemed to be disgusted by the companies cheap tactics as well.

And just like I feared, there were those who took the advertisement as encouragement because making light of an issue as serious as harassment only encourages it.

These comments made my some men have really made me concerned for their female co-workers. I hope Slamvich reevaluates it’s priorities and actually thinks creatively and doesn’t use cheap methods to gain ‘virality’. There are other ways to get your name out there.

Rest assured, harassment in the workplace is not just unacceptable socially but also in the eyes of law. Just don’t harass people please, and don’t make jokes about it either.

What do you think about this advertisement? Let us know in the comments!

Hardee’s is the Worst Burger Chain in Pakistan and Here’s Why

Harassing Women In The Workplace Is To Be Declared A Criminal Offence In Sindh And Men Can’t Handle It

Cover Image Source: Slamvich Pk via Facebook.com