Why WhatsApp Printed Gibberish in a National Daily—And It’s Pure Genius
Privacy fears are real—most of us worry that WhatsApp (or its parent Meta) might be reading our chats. But instead of another techy explainer, WhatsApp took an out-of-the-box approach in Hindustan Times with a full-page ad that looked like indecipherable newsprint:
Top half: A wall of gibberish, so nobody could “read” it.
Bottom half (clear text): “No one—not even WhatsApp—can see or hear your personal messages.”
Why It Works
Experiential Proof: By forcing readers to confront unreadable text, it viscerally illustrates end-to-end encryption.
Big Stage, Simple Message: A national newspaper lets them reach millions—and the stark contrast between “gibberish” and clarity drives the point home.
Emotional Reassurance: In one glance, they tackle the biggest objection—“Is my chat really private?”
The Takeaway
When you need to overcome a core customer fear, don’t just tell—show. Create a moment of experience (even in print) that viscerally demonstrates your benefit.