Advertisements that courted controversy in 2017
In 2017 some brands inadvertently landed themselves in hot water because of cheeky puns, risque taglines, and ‘insensitive’ use of gods in ads
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There is no such thing as bad publicity, especially when it comes to advertisements that land in controversy. Because what is the point of advertising and marketing after all, if not searing the image of the brand in the consumer’s mind? In 2017 some brands inadvertently landed themselves in hot water because of cheeky puns, risque taglines, and ‘insensitive’ use of gods and religion in ads.
Here’s a look at some ads that faced the heat in 2017:
Manforce Condoms:
Manforce Condoms was forced to withdraw nearly 500 hoardings in Gujarat after protests broke out earlier this year. The Confederation of All India Traders had raised an objection with the Centre seeking ban on Manforce Condoms’s outdoor advertisements all over Gujarat alleging it was derogatory and put the festival in bad light.
Sunny Leone’s condom ad for Manforce that tried to piggyback on the Navratri festivities faced severe outrage in Gujarat this year. The people of Gujarat took offense to the hoarding that portrays Sunny Leone seductively holding dandiya sticks, as the ad reads: “Aa Navratriye ramo, paraantu prem thi” (Play, but with love, this Navratri).
Zomato
The curious case of the recent outdoor ad campaign by online food ordering and delivery app, Zomato is worth a mention. The cheeky and ‘punny’ campaign attracted severe social media outrage so much so that Zomato eventually had to take down the ad in question.
Critics of the ad felt that one of the creatives of the campaign glorified desi expletives as it mentioned words like MC (mac n' cheese) BC (butter chicken) in an attempt to connect with the brand's core target audience - the millennials. While the brand had to pull down the ad, the outrage gave the brand exponential mileage among the target audience. Indeed, there is no such thing as bad publicity, is there?
Jawed Habib
Hairstylist Jawed Habib came under fire for hurting religious sentiments of the Hindus when he used the context of Durga Puja to promote his salon’s services. The ad suggested that even the gods visit Jawed Habib’s salon, so why not mere mortals? Durga and her children were seen getting pampered at the spa in the print ad. The backlash was such that Jawed Habib had to issue an apology.
Meat and Livestock Australia
Though not an Indian ad, this ad referencing Hindu God, Ganesha was off menu for a majority of Indians. Meat and Livestock Australia, an industry body, received flak for a recent ad promoting lamb as the meat that can bring together a diverse group of people. The ad showed Ganesha, sitting at a table for a meal accompanied by Jesus, Moses, Zeus, Mohammed, Aphrodite, and even L Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.
The Indian High Commission in Canberra took notice and registered a complaint with the Australian government over the ad for depicting Lord Ganesha endorsing lamb. The ad was subsequently banned as it was found to be “discriminatory to those of Hindu faith” by an independent review by the Australian Advertising Review Board. The ad conceptualised by an Australian agency, The Monkeys, was seen as trivialising various religious figures, not just Ganesha.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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