“I’m not a match. I’m not a catch. Your mom won’t call me suitable.” It’s with such edgy prose that Jabong exhorts users to be themselves.

A big transition from the cutesy, warm tone of its previous ads, one might say the e-commerce portal has crossed over to the dark side. But Sanjeev Mohanty, CEO, Jabong, says the idea was to be different and create aspirational value among the youth. “Over the last few years, ads of almost of all fashion e-commerce sites have started to look similar,” he says, adding they wanted to avoid that.

High on fashion and with dramatic overtones, the ad features models from diverse backgrounds to convey that fashion comes in all shapes and sizes. “Our motto is that customers should be body positive and have access to their kind of fashion,” says Mohanty.

VS Srikanth, CEO, Bates CHI & Partners India corroborates Mohanty’s stance, saying the idea was to redefine advertising in this space. “Generally, when new ads are launched, there is a specific product feature involved like range or new arrivals. Jabong, however, didn’t want any of that. They wanted an advertisement that changed the category,” he says.

Despite raising a few eyebrows, the ad has garnered positive response from various quarters, especially from the youth. “The youth that we wanted to connect with have all gone gaga over the ad. That is the most critical outcome,” says Srikanth.

The portal has already launched a shorter version of the ad with focus on denims and will be soon rolling out similar ads for sections such as women’s western wear and sportswear. By expanding its ‘Be You’ theme, Jabong wants to successfully position itself as an urban, fashion-forward portal.