Deodorant ad taken off air for ‘detrimental portrayal of women’ | India News

NEW DELHI: The information and broadcasting ministry has ordered the suspension of a controversial deodorant advertisement which is “detrimental to the portrayal of women in the interest of decency or morality”. An inquiry has also been ordered as per the advertising code.
The ministry has also written letters to Twitter and YouTube to remove the ads made by perfume brand Layer’r for its new body spray ‘Shot’.

According to several social media users, the ads were broadcast during a cricket match and show women getting scared that they will be sexually assaulted or harassed by a bunch of men making suggestive comments.
The ‘misogynistic’ ad has been widely called out on social media for promoting rape culture.
“The ad is in serious breach of the ASCI Code and is against public interest. We have taken immediate action and notified the advertiser to suspend the ad, pending investigation,” tweeted the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal said, “The deodorant advertisement blatantly promotes the rape mentality in the country. We have issued a notice to the Delhi Police that an FIR must be registered and the ad must be immediately taken down from all platforms.”
The Delhi Police has been asked to provide an action taken report in the matter by June 9.
(With inputs from agencies)