Telecom Giant Du Pulls Its ‘Bad Habits’ Ad From UAE Cinemas- Valutrics

UAE telecom player du has pulled an ad meant for moviegoers, which was criticized by some viewers over its content.

The ad was promoting du’s buy-one-get-one movie ticket offer at Vox Cinemas, focusing on the discomfort caused by sitting next to a stranger at the cinema—by showing all the bad (and disgusting) habits in graphic detail that some moviegoers indulge in.

This caused some moviegoers in the UAE, who took offense at the content of the ad, to complain to the telco, stating that the habits displayed in the ad were inappropriate and would give the country a bad name.

du, subsequently, pulled the ad even though many lauded it for being humorous and well executed.

In a statement on Twitter, it said: “We are aware that our ‘Man sitting next to you’ ad was loved by some but criticized by others. The purpose of the ad was to highlight some of the bad habits that are practiced by some moviegoers in hopes that it helps enhance the movie experience to all movie lovers in the UAE.”

“However, we’ve heard your comments and decided to remove the ad from theaters out of respect to you.”