Advertisements are most influential forms of media. Some influence us positively and some use the medium to send across a hard-hitting message.
However, there have also been advertisements in the past that ended up triggering a controversy and faced the axe.
A recent post by model and actress Pooja Bedi reminded us of the innumerable advertisements that were banned, either for hurting moral norms or religious sentiments.
In her social media post, Pooja spoke about a controversial condom advertisement from the 90s in which she featured opposite Marc Robinson.
The shoot was for Kamasutra condoms advert in 1991 by late Prabuddha Dasgupta. The first-of-its-kind ad had become controversial, and was banned from being aired on Doordarshan. The advertisement was directed by Alyque Padamsee.
Prior to that and later also there have been ads which invited public wrath for bringing obscenity to the living rooms. Some of those include:
Tuff Shoes
The 1995 advert showed Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre wearing Tuff shoes. The two models were essentially nude except for a python wrapped around their bodies.
In addition to being deemed obscene, it also left the animal rights activists in fuming. They filed a lawsuit for unlawful use of a python under the Wildlife Conservation Act. However, the models were found not guilty.
Calida Undergarments
The undergarment brand Calida Ad starring Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea shows Dino pulling off Bipasha’s underwear with his teeth. The 1998 Ad was pulled down after protests by women organisations. Some years later Bipasha revealed that the images were from intimate moments and were not intended to be photographed or even used.
Zatak Deo
This deodorant advert showed women lusting over men who used a particular deo. In one ad, a bride can be seen removing her ornaments and unbuttoning herself because of the effect of Zatak deodorant used by her neighbour in his house. The Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) found the ad “indecent, vulgar and suggestive” and it was taken off air.
Wild Stone Classic Ad
The sexual overtones of the deodorant advertisements in the backdrop of a puja celebrations, was pulled down for objectifying women. The ad showed a married woman in traditional Bengali attire fantasising about having intercourse with another man after she bumps into him accidentally. He had used the wild fragrance. In fact a few of the Wild Stone ads were banned for violating the moral norms.
Jack and Jones featuring Ravneer Singh
Well Ranveer Singh and sexism go hand in hand. In 2016, the Danish men’s fashion featured Ranveer in an ad that showed the actor carrying a woman on his shoulder, implying that women are just objects and should be treated as “work”.
Viewers called out the brand for promoting sexism and the actor for being part of the ad. Later, Ranveer Singh confessed that he regretted doing the ad and said, “We got it wrong.” Later, Ranveer issued a release saying “I treat all women with the utmost respect both professionally and personally and would never do anything to disrespect them.”
Bombay Dyeing’s 1980s Ad Featuring Sharmila Tagore
Actress Sharmila Tagore and a male model wrapped in a Bombay Dyeing towel smiling at the camera referred to water conservation. Objectification of human bodies and sexualising content as a marketing strategy is still deprecating.
Kurl-On, Malala
The Ogilvy & Mather ad for the mattress brand Kurl-On titled, Bounce Back invited hate for portraying an unfortunate incident for advertisement. The ad which was only released online was taken down immediately.
Tanishq
The Ekatvam jewellery ad released last year showed a Muslim family organising a baby shower for their Hindu daughter-in-law who is pregnant. The company described it as a “a beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures”, Tanishq. The ad has been taken down for people calling it out for promoting ‘love jihad’.
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