Close on the heels of a Swiggy billboard sparked a controversy, Bharat Matrimony’s Holi advertisement has now irked many.
Bharat Matrimony’s ad, which calls out the harassment and abuse women face during the festival of colours, has drawn flak from various quarters. Those who have taken offence to the ad have aired their resentment through social media platforms like Twitter and condemned the brand for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.
#BoycottBharatMatrimony has begun to trend on the microblogging site. “A message about Women’s Day could easily have been sent without linking it to Holi. But that wasn’t the goal. The goal was to vilify Holi. Stop using Hindu festivals for anti-Hindu propaganda,” tweeted an individual.
Also read: Swiggy takes down ‘egg billboard’ for Holi after online backlash
On the other hand, responding to the criticism, the brand has apparently edited the caption and uploaded fresh posts on its social media pages.
People are complaining as to why the brand choose to post such an ad during Holi, a Hindu festival, and not during Muslim festivals. The Twitter trend has also targeted Wondrlab, the agency which made the ad, and its employee citing his religious identity and using it as evidence to further their accusation of the ad being an intentional work to hurt Hindu sentiments.
Just a couple of days back, food delivery giant Swiggy’s billboard in Delhi, which asked people to not throw eggs at each other on Holi, was called out for Hinduphobia. Subsequently, Swiggy took down the billboard.
Many brands had to pull down their ads over the last couple of years and delete content online after receiving hate from people claiming hurt to their religious identities. Some of the affected brands are Tanishq, Ceat Tyres, and AU Bank.
This Women’s Day & Holi, let’s celebrate by creating safer and more inclusive spaces for women. It’s important to acknowledge the challenges that women face in public spaces and create a society that truly respects their well-being – today & forever.#BharatMatrimony #BeChoosy pic.twitter.com/9bqIXZqaXu
— Bharatmatrimony.com (@bharatmatrimony) March 8, 2023