A men’s fragrance brand in India is again in strife after its latest campaign was accused of promoting gang rape, prompting a furious response in a country where sexual violence against women remains an ongoing and serious problem.
Men’s body spray brand Layer’r Shot apparently has long history of skirting a fine line between trying to be funny and downright offensive.
The latest ad, in Hindi, sees four men stalk an attractive woman in a grocery store. As the woman is bending over, one male asks: “We’re four and there’s only one.” Another then asks: “Who will take the shot?”
The apparent “punchline” being that the men are squabbling over the last can of Layer’r Shot on the shelves. Watch the offending spot below:
Bollywood actors including Priyanka Chopra, Richa Chadha and Farhan Khan were among a host of celebrities calling out the ad, labelling it “shameful,” ”disgusting” and “incredibly tasteless”.
Bollywood filmmaker Farhan Khan, who is also a United Nations Women‘s Goodwill Ambassador, said of the spot: “What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads. Shameful,” Khan tweeted.
Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra added: “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!”
The ad has since been banned by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
Layer‘r Shot has since apologised for the ad, claiming it “never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments or feelings or outrage any woman’s modesty or promote any sort of culture, as wrongly perceived by some”.
Social media was quick to savage the ad and the creative agency. “Who the fuck approved that?” one person tweeted
Another wrote: “That Layerr Shot deo ad playing during #ENGvNZ is perverse man, with its gang sexual assault innuendo – I wonder how it even got approved to air, surely a heavy sanction by ASCI is needed. This I feel is one case where even the six actors should be embarrassed.”
Check out more of the outrage below:
