I have been wondering as to what constitutes offensive advertising. In my pursuit for finding offensive advertising I came across some of the controversial advertising of the past. Sample some of these:
The one that started it all was in October, 91. One of the first ad for Kamasutra Condom featuring Pooja Bedi and Marc Robinson. Year 1993 Ad for MR Instant coffee ("Real pleasure does not come in an instant") featuring Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan. And the most controversial of them all in year 1995 for Tuff Shoes, featuring Madhu Sapre, Milind Soman, two pair of shoes and one shy python. Year 1998 Ad featuring Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea for Switzerland based underwear makers Calida. Both of them in innerwear and Dino pulling Bipasha’s with his mouth.
So, what’s controversial about these ads? They are plain simple sexy. Not for Indian moral standards. They became controversial also because they had celebrity models. Some of these were crass and some more tastefully done but all of them sexy to the hilt.
I couldn’t find an acceptable definition of offensive advertising. I guess because each one of us have different ethical standards and we judge everything by our own standards. Therefore there is no agreement and no definition. To me fairness cream advertising is offensive. The ones which promise marriage because of fairness have been more offensive than others. I do understand that the insight is from real life. With the society progressing the fairness advertising moved from marriage to jobs. The more sexist one was it helps you become an air-hostess. Worse are ads with celebrities and the more recent ones for men with SRK and Virat Kohli endorsing them.
But this one takes the cake! Have you seen this ad for Clean and Dry intimate wash?
This one is clearly the worst on being offensive. Fairness for intimate parts? Maybe there is a consumer insight on this one. I have not done consumer work in this area and therefore would stay away from the insight. But I find the promise almost repulsive as to what is the depth that marketers and advertisers can slip down to. I really want some of you to help me understand if I am the only one?
Before this particular ad the most offensive ad that I felt belonged to communitymatrimony.com. I am sure you all have seen this ad.
But this one is so sweet compared to the clean and dry ad. And even the goibibo.com ad (where the air hostess slaps the passenger because he has not bought the ticket from goibibo) is like grandmotherly sweet, reminding you of the Air India air hostesses. See the ad if you have not seen it till now.
So, redefine your own sensibilities of offensive ads. Communitymatrimony.com and goibibo.com are nice commercials based on “consumer insights”.
Please do post your reactions below this blog. You can also reach me out at @agrawalsanjeev on twitter
