JOIN USDon’t do what they do in this ad
A TV ad for a car has run into criticism from animal and forest experts.
The spot shows a group of friends sitting in a car while an elephant herd passes them by. Moments later, they come upon a stray elephant calf. The ad shows the friends enticing the baby elephant with a keychain and reuniting it with the herd.
Deaths every year
Elephant-human conflict has greatly increased in the past few years in Karnataka. As a growing human population encroaches on traditional elephant habitats, the state reports a rate of 30 to 40 elephant-related human deaths annually.
Sai Sharan Levin ACCOUNT MANAGER, ADVERTISEMENT COMPANY
The creative agency must take some of the blame because such an ad passed their due diligence. But the client company should have also checked before taking the final call; an agency doesn’t have the legal resources to see if all is okay with the ad. We take the help of experts only when the subject is technical, like, say blockchain or bitcoins. This must have seemed like a harmless ad for a car.
Suparna Ganguly
FOUNDER TRUSTEE, CUPA AND WRRC
Idon’t know why they don’t take inputs from people in the know before making such expensive ads. The concept is fine but the ad gives wrong ideas. People will emulate it and attempt macho tricks. What should be done. The moment you spot an elephant herd, you should drive away as fast as possible. Switch off the engine once you get to a safe distance, and sit quietly. If an elephant is looking lost, it means a herd is in the vicinity. What people can do to help is not allow other vehicles to pass for some time. They shouldn’t approach any elephant because it is dangerous. Especially not a baby because the mother can become very aggressive if she chances on you suddenly; in real life, she may even have overturned the car and killed everyone inside. You can also call the forest department if you think any animal is threatened. Elephants were quite peaceful once upon a time but now attack without provocation; they are that tormented. They come into the Bannerghatta range and sometimes stray into the fields. The word spreads and the crowd becomes unmanageable. People make a lot of noise and this causes the herd to scatter, and the job of forest officials becomes even more difficult.
Karuna Baskar DIRECTOR, RESILIENCEWORKS
The impact of an act depends on who is acting in it and how well it is made. If it portrays young, attractive people doing something ‘cool’ then it definitely sends out a strong, aspirational message. Most ads target young people. However it’s not that all young people are unthinking. The message received varies from person to person.
Ads that courted controversy
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Durex condom
Ranveer Singh’s ad was pulled off air for ‘offensive content’.
Calida Underwear
Many women’s organisations protested against the ad showing Dino Morea and Bipasha Basu in an intimate position. It was banned later.
Motorola phone
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Manforce condom
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Wildstone Deodorant
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Set Wet Zatak
A woman gets intimate with a man after he uses this hair gel. The Advertising Standards
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Fastrack watch
Virat Kohli portrays a pilot and Genelia D’souza an air hostess in this old ad. A make-out session in the cockpit after which they come out, even when the plane is flying, caused many airline companies to fume. Ban it is!
AC Black Apple Juice
Commercial A leering man and his fantasies were the subject of this ad. The commercial was instantly banned and the company had to face a major backlash.
Bisleri
It was meant to promote the idea of safe sex and sell the company’s product at the same time but the commercial ruffled many feathers and invited a ban.
Kalyan Jewellers
Amitabh Bachchan’s advertisement for Kalyan Jewellers was taken off air when a banking union said it showed them in a poor light.