Layer'r ad row Body spray brand, slammed for sexist ad promoting 'rape culture', apologises
New Delhi/IBNS: After the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting asked Twitter and YouTube to immediately pull down two objectionable advertisements for the body spray 'Layer'r Shot' amid suggestions that it was promoting "rape culture", the company on Monday apologised and said it was not its intention to hurt or outrage any women's modesty or promote any sort of culture.
It added that the advertisements were aired only after the mandatory approval.
The company in a statement said it has "voluntarily informed all media partners to stop the telecast/broadcasting of both the TV advertisements from 4th June with immediate effect".
"We, the brand Layer'r SHOT would like to inform one and all that only after due & mandatory approvals, we have aired the advertisements, wherein, we never intended to hurt anyone's sentiments or feelings or outrage any women's modesty or promote any sort of culture, as wrongly perceived by some," the company said in a statement of clarification.
"However, we sincerely apologise for the advertisement that consequentially caused rage amongst individuals & several communities and beg their pardon, "it added.
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) found the ad campaign in a "serious breach" of their code and against the public interest.
In one of the advertisements, four boys are seen stalking a girl in a store. They have a conversation while standing right behind her, _“Hum char, aur ye ek! Shot kaun lega!”. The conversation between the boys visibly scares the girl.
One of the boys then picks up a bottle of the body spray named ‘Shot’ and the girl heaves a huge sigh of relief.
In the other advertisement, a teen couple is seen making out in their room, when four of his friends open the door and say "..tune shot mara lagta hai?", the boy say "haan", his friend says: "Ab hamari baari". Again the girl in the feature appears to be in discomfort and then heaves a sigh of relief, as the friend mentions the deodorant shot.
Twitter users have been outraged by the advertisement that has been slotted amid New Zealand vs England cricket match.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Malliwal had shot a letter to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur in connection with the objectionable method of promotion by the company and demanded an immediate ban.
The I&B Ministry said: "It has come to notice of @MIB_India that an inappropriate and derogatory advertisement of a deodorant is circulating on social media. Ministry has asked Twitter and YouTube to immediately pull down all instances of this advertisement.
"The TV channel on which it appeared has already pulled it down on directions of @MIB_India."
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