Controversial Advertisement: A Misstep by Sahara?
A few days ago, I saw an advertisement on TV featuring Sachin Tendulkar performing last rites, which struck me as deeply inappropriate. It felt bizarre, especially coming from one of the most revered figures in India, a contender for the Bharat Ratna (the highest civilian honor). Similarly, the advertisement showed Yuvraj Singh digging a grave, while other cricketers warned us about the unhealthy food we consume. The idea behind the ad, by Sahara, was to highlight that many food products are harmful to health. However, the execution was widely criticized, as seen in reports.
Read more here: Indian Express
Thankfully, the BCCI quickly intervened and the advertisement was suspended.
The concept behind the ad and the vision of the advertising team were completely out of line. Using India’s most famous figures in such a way, just for the sake of making it controversial, was irresponsible. It seemed like an indirect attack on other companies selling similar products to those offered by Q Retail. Imagine if other companies used the same strategy against Q Retail: if every time we purchased something from them, we were reminded of last rites performed by Sachin, Yuvraj digging graves, hospital beds, and medication — would we still feel comfortable eating their products? Such an approach could easily backfire, creating negative associations in the minds of consumers.
Instead of using shock value, Sahara could have rethought the advertisement. They have a unique opportunity to promote their products by showing a life full of health and happiness after consuming Q Retail products. A positive, life-affirming approach would likely resonate much more with the audience and lead to better reception.
