National, May 23, 2025 — redBus, the world’s largest online bus ticketing platform, has rolled out its latest ad titled Bass! – Bus Karo, redBus Karo campaign, crafted to establish ‘bus’ as synonymous with redBus in the minds of Indian consumers. This is in line with redBus’ long term brand tagline of ‘Bus Yaani redBus’. With a clever play on the commonly used Hindi word “Bas” meaning ‘stop’, especially popular in Hindi-speaking and ading regions, the campaign blends cultural familiarity with humorous storytelling to drive top-of-mind awareness and deepen brand connect. Designed specifically for regions where “Bas” is used in daily life to express everything from finality to frustration, redBus transforms this phrase into a recall mechanism, subtly nudging s to think: if it’s bus, it must be redBus. Each ad in the series leads to the line: “Bus yaani redBus.”
The films leverage relatable, exaggerated situations to build emotional engagement while reinforcing the brand’s position as the go-to destination for online bus booking. The films have been conceptualized by Leo Burnett.
The campaign is being rolled out across a mix of high-impact platforms, including leading television channels, streaming platforms like Jio Hotstar during live IPL matches. In addition, redBus will also brand autos for this campaign.
Film 1: Damaad
A young groom visiting his in-laws is force-fed sweets. He tries to protest with “Bass…bass…” but is drowned out. The whole family, unbothered, holds up their phones which show the redBus homepage, stating: “Bus yaani redBus.”
Tradition meets tech with sweet comic timing.
Film 2: Theatre
A couple shares a flirty moment at the cinema. The man responds to the woman’s advance with a giggle and says, “Bass…” Moments later, the audience and even the on-screen actor flash their redBus app on their phones, chanting: “Bus yaani redBus.”
Romance interrupted, brand ed.
Film 3: Newsroom
In a chaotic news debate, the anchor finally snaps and yells, “Bass!!!” Instantly, everyone -from ists to studio crew-raises their phones in sync: “Bus yaani redBus.” A satire on media overload, turned brand moment.
Film 4: Train Bridge
On a busy station over, a young man hilariously pleads with a TTE to confirm his waitlist ticket through distant family connections. The TTE shuts him down with: “Arey bas kar.” Vendors and porters chime: “Bus yaani redBus”. The film ends with a voiceover of “Train ki tickets waitlisted ho toh redBus karo.” A slice-of-life scenario, turned brand anthem.
Pallavi Chopra, CMO, redBus, said “The ‘Bass! – Bus Karo, redBus Karo’ campaign is built to create synonymity between redBus as a brand and the bus travel category. As one of India’s largest online bus ticketing platforms, our focus is on becoming the first and only name people think of when it comes to booking intercity bus travel. This campaign takes a deeply familiar local idiom and through clever wordplay, inserts the brand into general parlance. This ensures that the redBus brand name is firmly entrenched in everyday moments and the consciousness of bus travelers.”