Surf Excel backlash: Trolling of this kind has short-term effect on brands, say experts
While some criticized the brand for hurting their religious sentiments, many came out in Surf Excel’s support too

Around festivals, brands often use ad campaigns to deliver social messages that resonate well with their philosophy and also bring a smile to the face of the consumer.
Detergent brand Surf Excel is known for spreading positive message in the society during festivals under their “daag acche hain” campaign. This time also it attempted the same with its Holi ad aimed at promoting communal harmony. The one-minute ad features a young Hindu girl and a Muslim Boy. The girl challenges neighbourhood friends to splash her with colors so that she could protect her Muslim friend who has to go to mosque to offer prayers.
But, the ad created quite a controversy on social media, with some saying that it has hurt their religious sentiments and #BoycottSurf soon started trending on Twitter
#BoycottSurfExcel One of the worst Ad ever by Surf Excel. It should be rolled back and @HUL_News should apologize for hurting sentiment of our religion.#BoycottSurfExcel
— Ramesh Kumar Saini (@sainiramesh515) March 11, 2019
All 'sides' are wrong about the #SurfExcel ad. Sadly, there is no critical thinking in the public sphere in India. What @HUL_News has done is promote an insidious message of victimhood/protection into a festival celebrated for thousands of years with unity and no conflict.
— HindolSengupta (@HindolSengupta) March 10, 2019
सिर्फ #Unilever के #SurfExcel नही बल्कि हर product का #Boycott कीजिये ।#boycottSurfexcel #BoycottHindustanUnilever #Boycott_surf_excel #BoycottHULproducts #BoycottHUL @HUL_News @PMOIndia @Ra_THORe
— Shivam Pratap Singh (@shivampratapsi4) March 9, 2019
However, not all felt so. Many, including politicians such as Mehbooba Mufti and Sanjay Nirupam also came out in support of the ad on Twitter.
Well done #SurfExcel for promoting religious harmony in these times! Great ad too.
— Konkona Sensharma (@konkonas) March 10, 2019
Ignore the haters. https://t.co/TnjUUAr8Tz
Oh boy. Not really a fan of #SurfExcel the product or even #HLL. But will buy it now in solidarity!! #stopdivisiveness https://t.co/kAUoxb8cxG
— Sucheta Dalal (@suchetadalal) March 11, 2019
He who objects this ad by #SurfExcel is nothing but against the idea of India.
— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) March 10, 2019
Hatsoff who created this beautuful film.#JaiHind https://t.co/YysT5d3W13
Such a beautiful ad. Watched it 10 times, left me smiling EVERY SINGLE TIME. Depicts India through the eyes of innocent/naughty/lovely kids ? Touched. Why attack #SurfExcel ? Why look for conspiracies everywhere? ? https://t.co/6Iz5Ml92QT
— Manak Gupta (@manakgupta) March 10, 2019
I have a better suggestion. Bhakts should be washed properly with Surf Excel. Kyunki Surf ki dhulai daag ko karain saaf. https://t.co/YiYrW4AM2j
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 10, 2019
Surf Excel is not the first ad that has faced backlash on social media. There’s a history of how brands have faced such criticism. So, does this scenario affect the brand’s value and sales? We asked brand experts.
According to brand guru Harish Bijoor, it affects the brand value, but only temporarily. “Till consumers, competitors and trolls forget. Or there is some other event that shifts the attention,” he says.
Swati Nathani, CBO and Co-Founder, Team Pumpkin, feels that every trend is short- lived and it does affect the brand value and sales during that period.
“As netizens, it’s our responsibility to fairly judge any communication from our point of view rather than getting carried away by instigations by various groups,” Nathani cautions.
Brand expert N Chandramouli feels that #boycott is another expression of free will that social media seemingly creates.
“In some cases it can have a negative impact on the sales of the brand, and sometimes also on its brand value. However, if brands (and people too) succumb to the pressures of such pressure tactics of parochial interests, they will be playing right into their hands. Brands must keep to their core messages and promise and not change that,” adds Chandramouli.
This is the second time in a month that Hindustan Unilever has faced flak for its advertisements. Recently, Brooke Bond was trolled by users on twitter for “portraying Kumbh Mela in a bad light” and “hurting the sentiments of Hindu pilgrimages”.
Shares Swati, “HUL built a beautiful communication through the ad. They would’ve pre-empted such reactions as the communication was beyond the regular category codes.”
According to Chandramouli, elections are just a month away and such trolling on social media could be to keep the minds of the citizens diverted to trivia rather than real issues.
“Breads and circuses, they used to call it in ancient Rome,” he concludes.
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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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