Taking an unusual route, these brands thank customers for not using their products during coronavirus

Companies like Uber and automobile brand Fiat Chrysler have urged their customers to stay away from their products, in order to keep themselves safe during the pandemic.

According to a business news report published by CNN, these aforementioned companies are taking an unusual tack in their ads during the coronavirus – recommending people not to use their products.

A recent 60-second television ad from Uber shows a montage of scenes of people quarantining at home.

"Stay home for everyone who can't," the commercial says at the end. "Thank you for not riding with Uber."

It's not uncanny for companies to run ads that try to tap into a national mood during a time of crisis and tragedy, said Joseph Turow, professor at Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, adding that the Uber ad stands unique as it actually urges people not to use the product – which is totally contrary to its business tactics.

Read more: Latest updates on coronavirus

Thomas Ranese, Uber's vice president of marketing, said the company will run the ad for the next two weeks to stress the importance of staying at home.

According to the publication, the public service announcement is "a company that is synonymous with movement, thanking you for not moving, because right now that helps save lives.”

In a similar bid, Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) – which is an Italian-American multinational corporation and is the world's eighth-largest automaker –isn't specifically telling people not to buy cars, however, their social media campaign which ran earlier on Friday told people to leave their cars parked and not drive for the time being.

It repurposed its "Groundhog Day" Super Bowl spot starring Bill Murray. But instead of showing him enjoying the repetition of the same day because of his chance to drive a Jeep, as the original spot did, this contains a message about being stuck at home, the publication highlighted.

"We understand that every day is starting to seem the same," said the ad, before cutting to the original ad showing Bill Murray waking up again to the Sonny and Cher song "I've got you babe."

"Stay home. Stay healthy" says the ad. It then shows a Jeep driving off-road with the words "When this is all over, the trails will be waiting."

It also has online ads featuring the Chrysler Pacifica and the company's Ram and Alfa Romeo brands.

Worldwide, more than more than 2 million cases of the infection have been reported and as many as 120,000 deaths have taken place since the virus emerged in China last December.

Following the surge in cases, almost the entire world is pushed into a sudden lockdown to stem the rapid spread of virus.