Round-up 2021: Sabyasachi to Manyawar, Dabur, 7 most controversial ads that ‘hurt’ the sentiments of Indians

Lately, there have been several people across the country who were left ‘angered’ and ‘hurt’ due to ‘offensive’ commercial advertisements. The ads that tried to show the country in a more ‘tolerant’ and ‘modern’ manner, failed to go down well with the audiences, with many asking for ‘boycott’. Presenting to you are some of the ads that became the centre point of controversy.

Ceat: The tyre manufacture giant, Ceat had to face backlash for its ad featuring actor Amir Khan. In the ad, Amir Khan advised people to not burst crackers which had upset the people. The ad had taken a political turn also, and later, the company had to pull it up.

FabIndia’s ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’: FabIndia was also at the receiving end for its Diwali commercial. It had tweeted an ad for its festive collection on October 09, which received instate flak from social media users. For the Diwali collection, FabIndia had used ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ in its ad. The brand was accused of ‘damaging the Hindu festival’, forcing the brand to pull off the ad as well as remove the tweet.

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Dabur Fem's ‘same-sex Karwa Chauth’ controversy: Dabur’s Karwa Chauth ad keeping same-sex marriages in mind was one of the biggest controversies that a commercial faced this year. Dabur’s product ‘Fem’ showed two women celebrating Karwa Chauth together which drew flak from the people. The ad showed women applying bleach on their faces for fairer colour. While some criticized it for its ‘colourist nature’, the others were angered about the use of a Hindu tradition.

Alia Bhatt in Manyawar: When Alia Bhatt questioned the concept of ‘Kanyadaan’ through Manyawar’s bridal collection ad, little did she know that she will find herself in the midst of a controversy. Alia Bhatt was massively trolled for the ad, and at the same time, a pro-Hindu outfit had staged a protest outside Manyawar’s showrooms in Navi Mumbai, further calling for a boycott of the brand.

Nykaa's Navratri Sale: The beauty e-commerce platform, Nykaa, had a nightmare when controversy had erupted on social media for its ‘Navratri’ sale this year. The brand had used the tag of ‘Navratri’ for ‘condoms’ and ‘lubricants’ during its sale period, which of course did not go well with people. Many people who were angered with these products being reflected under the ‘Navratri’ sale, said that it had allegedly insulted the Hindu festival and also their sentiments.

Sabyasachi Mangalsutra Ad: The ace designer received severe backlash for his luxury mangalsutra ad campaign. Given the intimate pictures that were used for the ad, it was likened to a ‘condom’ and a ‘lingerie’ ad. The brand, of course, had to later withdraw its campaign.

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Zomato: The food delivery app’s ‘Har Customer Hai Star’ campaign may have had the right intentions of promoting the company’s ‘special customer service and fast delivery’ ethos. However, this ad featuring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif failed to impress the public as the viewers highlight the not-so-healthy working conditions for the delivery partners. The food delivery giant had to issue a statement to clarify its stand on the ad.