In a shocking turn of events, a deodorant brand recently released a couple of ads for one of their body spray products. Ever since the ad was aired on TV, it drew flak from netizens and created a huge uproar on and off social media. The ads of the body spray were bashed for promoting r*pe culture. As seen in the ad, women were found in a tough spot when she has the fear of being se*ually assaulted.
One of the ads opens with a couple sitting in a bedroom and later a few guys barging into the room asking him, “Shot mara kya? Ab hamari baari” The guy then approached a table and grabs the bottle of deodorant and starts to spray it on himself. Seeing this, the girl in the video expresses relief. However, the other ad sees a gang of boys standing right behind a girl at a store saying, “Hum chaar aur ye ek, toh shot kaun lega.” The girl in the question again expresses relief when she sees them talking to the spray bottle.
Soon after it began to trend on social media, Bollywood celebs came together to bash the brand for creating such an insensitive ad. Taking to Twitter Richa Chadha said that an ad goes through a several layers of decision making and the brand needs to be sued, while Priyanka Chopra commented on the same and called it, ‘Shameful, disgusting and appalling.”
Richa Chadha wrote, “This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… DOES EVERYONE THINK R*PE IS A JOKE? Revelatory! This brand, the agency that made this ad need to be sued for the filth they’re serving.” While commenting on the same, Priyanka Chopra Jonas said, “Shameful and disgusting. How many levels of clearances did it take for this commercial to be green lit. How many people thought this was ok? I’m so glad that it was called out and now the ministry has taken it down. Appalling.”
Swara Bhasker slammed the brand for joking and cool-ifying’ r*pe & gangr*pe right after a teenage girl was r*ped in Hyderabad. The actress wrote, “A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India… companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & cool-ifying’ r*pe & g*ngrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it?”
Calling it ‘innuendo ads’ Farhan Akhtar wrote, “What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray gang r*pe’ innuendo ads!! Shameful” -Koimoi
