Sabyasachi has joined a list of companies that have had to pull back their ad campaigns. The Mangalsutra campaign featured intimate portraits of a woman wearing a low-neckline outfit, which caused an uproar online amongst people who believed the images to be an insult to Hindu culture.
In addition to the online backlash, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister, Narottam Mishra, threatened the brand with a 24-hour ultimatum to take down the campaign, saying that if the designer failed to comply, a case would be registered against him. The brand withdrew the campaign following Mishra’s announcement.
While withdrawing the ad campaign, Sabyasachi in his statement said, “In the context of making heritage and culture a dynamic conversation, the Mangalsutra campaign aimed to talk about inclusivity and empowerment.”
He further added that “The campaign was intended as a celebration and we are deeply saddened that it has instead offended a section of our society. So we at Sabyasachi have decided to withdraw the campaign.”
This is not the first time that a brand has had to withdraw an advertisement for offending certain groups of people. Earlier, Dabur withdrew its Karva Chauth advertisement after criticism over showing a same-sex couple celebrating the ritual. Also, the list includes Tanishq, which had to withdraw its ‘Ekatvam’ ad campaign last year after it faced an uproar for allegedly promoting love jihad.
