 "Deodorant ads create a stink")
A rash of deodorant ads have been released recently, many of which haven fallen fall foul of the guidelines of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
In July, for example, the ASCI received complaints about seven deodorant TV commercials, with three of the complaints being upheld.
Hindustan Unilever Ltd’s The Axe Effect TVC depicts a female security staff frisking a man at an airport using a metal detector on his chest and arms.
“She is shown in a spell of lust and clinging to his body in a display of sexual passion overpowering her with the voice-over, “The Axe Effect”, says an ASCI ruling.
Paras Pharmaceutical’s Zatak Deodorant TVC shows a boy going to a lady dentist after using the deodorant.
“As he sprays the deodorant, the lady dentist is shown closing her eyes and moaning suggestively. When the boy says that he has toothache, the lady dentist is shown unbuttoning his shirt. She asks him to breathe and demonstrates it by sensuously thrusting her bust forward. In doing so, her white coat is off and her inner garment is clearly showing off her cleavage,” says the ASCI ruling which upheld the complaint against the advertisement.
Paras Pharmaceutical’s Set Wet Deodorant advertisement “shows a man using the deodorant and a female clinging to him in a passionate display of desire. An onlooker also tries the deodorant and soon a female is shown coming behind him taking off her garment and clinging to him lustfully,” says ASCI.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts[caption id=“attachment_66352” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“What’s your view on deodorant commercials? Screen grab from Killer Deo ad.”]  [/caption]
The CCC concluded that these advertisements display overtly sexual desire and are also demeaning to women. Keeping in view the generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, (the advertisement) is likely to cause grave and widespread offence. Since these advertisements contravened Chapter II of the ASCI Code, the complaints against these three advertisements have been upheld.
Post these rulings, we’ve seen new commercials - which ‘display overtly sexual desire and are also demeaning to women’. Or not, depending on your point of view.
Take a look at the new commercial from Killer Deo below :
Or this one, also from Killer Deo
It’s a thin line that divides an acceptable advertisement from one that is unacceptable. What’s your view on these Killer Deo commercials? Are they acceptable or not? What’s your view on deodorant commercials in general?
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