5 brands that handled COVID-19 wrong

Kent RO’s Health and Purity Campaign: Stereotyping and Rude

Kent RO’s campaign sparked outrage and netizens trolled the brand for spreading misinformation and creating bias against a certain section of the society. What also added fuel to the fire was the dehumanisation of domestic workers by using the term “maid”, implying they are our house helps. Many also believed this advertisement to be provoking casteism and was rejected outright by the consumers. Kent had to pull out the ad from the market and issue an apology soon.

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When Amul’s billboard went wrong

Amul is known for its topical billboards, however, this advertisement based on Indians rescued from China amidst rising COVID-19 cases in 2020 drew harsh criticism. Social media users were quick to point out the snide copy of the ad and its slightly racist undertones.

Budweiser’s ‘shrewd and selfish’ execution of #StrongerTogether campaign 

In a recent Instagram post uploaded by Official Humans Of Bombay, actress Sanjana Sanghi spoke about how she helped her caretakers throughout the vaccination process and provided their families with relief kits amidst the pandemic. This Budweiser ad campaign received backlash for being tone-deaf and using the domestic workers as mere “props” without compensating for their time. It was also called out for self-praise by the influencer. The brand chose to remain silent on it, though the post was quickly taken down.

Dabur’s unsubstantiated claim of fighting COVID-19

Dabur Chyawanprash’s COVID-19 advertisement drew flak when actor Akshay Kumar, who was promoting the brand for its immunity against the virus, tested positive for the same. The copy for the ad clearly said, “According to clinical study conducted across 5 centres, Dabur Chyawanprash helps in protection against COVID-19.” Internet users soon pointed out the irony and questioned these claims. They also requested the Advertising Standards Council of India to take action against such false advertisements.

Zodiac’s anti-Corona shirt slammed by consumers

Homegrown fashion brand Zodiac Clothing Company was at the receiving end of criticism by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) after it claimed that its new ‘Securo’ rang of shirts made by Heiq Viroblock technology kills viruses and bacteria. Twitter quickly pointed out the absurdity of the ad and asked ASCI to look into the claim. However, Zodiac stood by its anti-Corona shirt ad.