Ride sharing company Grab has been forced to pull an online ad from Indonesia after complaints it resembled a gory Zombie horror flick.
The 45-second promo video caused uproar for its use of a woman splattered in blood to highlight the ‘consequences of accepting lower safety standards,’ Grab said.
It shows a young woman dripping in blood as she approaches unlicensed ‘ojek’ motorcycle taxi drivers.
When she refuses a ride from the drivers, the blood miraculously disappears and the Grab app suddenly appears on her phone.
It sparked a huge number of disparaging comments online.
"Why are you making a scary ad? Is it for zombies or for a service," said one Twitter user.
Grab pulled the ad earlier this week and admitted it ‘may have been grim and disturbing.’
"Our intention was not to shock, but to reinforce the consequences of accepting lower safety standards," said Mediko Azwar, marketing director for Grab Indonesia.
Meanwhile Grab announced it has just raised another US$750 million to fuel more expansion in Southeast Asia.
