Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>Tanishq’s latest Ekatvam Diwali ad stirred up a new row of controversy on social media for promoting a crackerless Diwali. </li><li>The brand was quick to delete its ad this time. </li><li>This made us wonder if brands are setting a wrong precedent by pulling down their advertisements and giving in to these bullies too quickly? Will consumers lose faith in the brand for backtracking and its lack of confidence? </li><li>Experts tell us their thoughts and ideal ways of dealing with online trolling. </li></ul>Tanishq has found itself in troubled waters yet again. On November 09, #BoycottTanishq was trending on Twitter for another advertisement under its on-going ‘Ekatvam’ (unity) campaign and this time, we are scratching our heads to find a reason why it offended the internet users. The ad featured four independent actors Sayani Gupta, Neena Gupta, Alaya F and Nimrat Kaur talking about what they love about Diwali and how they are going to celebrate the festival this year. The ad is about female companionship and oneness. It celebrates successful women and positions itself as a brand that caters to women of all ages. Tanishq’s latest ad wasn’t just about promoting a noise-free Diwali, contrary to what trolls think. It was about celebrating Diwali with family and not bursting crackers was just one of the messages they gave. The message which offended many internet users wasn’t the central thread of the ad. It was woven around the message of equality and togetherness. Its caption read, “This Diwali, let’s unite and celebrate with those closest to our hearts.” While many experts say that religion is a tough subject to handle and brands should be careful in the way they project themselves, this time, Tanishq played it safe. It only featured Hindu, upper-caste and class women celebrating Diwali. So, what was the problem? It seems like the memories of the previous storm were still fresh and the mere sight of Tanishq is offending Twitterati. They were quick to jump in to ask for another boycott for ‘trying to advise Hindus on how to celebrate their festivals’ and ‘defame their culture.’ “Why should anyone advise Hindus how to celebrate Our Festivals? Companies must focus on selling their products, not lecture us to refrain from bursting Crackers. We will light lamps, distribute sweets and burst green crackers. Please join us. You will understand Ekatvam,” said a user. “Saw a recent ad campaign by Tanishq Jewelry where some bimbos prattle vacuously about how Deepavali is about buying clothes and jewellery. Looks like this is the new woke line. Strip Deepavali of all religious significance and make it a kind of a glorified kitty party with lights,” said another Twitter user. They even had a problem with women not wearing symbols of patriarchy and their badges of being married such as bindis, bangles and sindoor. <div type="twitter" handle="krithikasivasw" handlename="krithika sivaswamy" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1307598588181016576/coJ-S3Qq_normal.jpg" favoritecount="172" retweetcount="61" status="No bindi, no deepam, no lakshmi pooja. While I don't like to intefere into people's dressing or spiritual choices… https://t.co/tzM0cbaXk0" createdat="1604896710000" id="1325659002307375105"></div> It was around a month ago that Tanishq’s ad film about a Hindu bahu and her Muslim saas living together peacefully made the trolls uncomfortable. In both these controversies, Tanishq was quick to withdraw its ad and apologise for hurting religious sentiments. This made us wonder if brands are setting a wrong precedent by pulling down their advertisements and giving in to these rabble-rousers too quickly? The last time, Tanishq withdrew its ad because the safety of its employees was in danger and so far, for its recent ad, it has just been social media outrage. Powerful brands like Tanishq have the resources to stand up to these bullies. Brands are also aware of the volatile climes they live in and how advertisements can irk some internet users. So, are brands not hiring good media planners? Will consumers lose faith in the brand for backtracking and its lack of confidence? A larger question every CMO ponders upon, what is the ideal way to deal with these online bullies? We reached out to experts to find out. Here is what they had to say: Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and Angel Investor: I am surprised that Tanishq chose to take down the ad in the face of social media backlash. I am sure the brand foresaw the likely controversy when they chose to go down this path – so backtracking now is a little surprising and doesn’t speak well for their planning. It is important for companies and brands to respect public sentiment. After all, a brand and a company exists within a larger community and all it does is have to reflect the values of its users and the larger society it operates in. Thanks to their reach and heft, brands have become important elements in shaping culture, influencing behaviour and moulding opinion. It is therefore important for them to proactively do the right thing, even though it may have short-term implications for their business. Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc: I very simply believe that brands must avoid touching topics that either directly or indirectly touch politics or religion. Anything that touches these two or adjacent issues such as custom and tradition, must be avoided. These are sensitive times. Avoid issues that sensitize audiences further. Akshara Vasavda, Creative Lead, Schbang: Another <keyword id="2851713" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tanishq-Ad">Tanishq ad</keyword> taken down because of angry trolls upset over someone saying we shouldn't burst firecrackers, because you know, we're kind of in the middle of a pandemic and an on-going climate crisis in general. How dare they? First, let's focus on the real issue - the extremists dominating much of the Indian media and social media right now, spreading their intolerance in almost every sphere of our lives. There is no platform where one can express their (very reasonable and justified) views freely without getting attacked by angry extremist trolls. Whether or not Tanishq should have taken the ad down is a separate conversation. They are still yet another victim of growing extremism in our country, albeit a very privileged victim with power and resources to fight this issue and bring some much needed change. Should Tanishq have taken this ad down? Absolutely not. I work on a brand 100x smaller than Tanishq that was attacked for a week straight for a simple social media post on Navratri, but we stuck to our cause and fought the trolls off with a team of 3 girls handling ORM. I simply do not see why a brand like Tanishq feels forced to take the ad down except for maybe, just maybe, they want to have their cake and eat it too - please the progressives but be in the good books of conservatives/right wing audience as well. Afterall, their sales come from the old and the rich. Or maybe, they want the controversy. Whatever the reason is, I'm out of sympathy for this TATA giant, when small, independent brands are not afraid to stand up in the face of right-wing suppression of speech. Kuber Chopra, Founder, Creative and Strategy Director, Rasta: What Tanishq is dealing with is not a "might offend someone" mindset, it's got to a point where the trolls have simply marked some brands as too liberal for their liking. Just like they would mark some popular liberal voices as those to quash dare they speak. While I did feel when they released the last ad, they would have been conscious of potential backlash, on this occasion they're just dealing with depressing brainwashed mindsets that are going to continue to get offended by the sight of Tanishq. They are probably offended by this because there are 4 independent women and no men in a Diwali ad (albeit it's a jewelry ad) speaking English. I'm honestly a little saddened to suggest a hack for this, but if Tanishq doesn’t think putting a brave front is worth it, they should change the script and redo the voice over perhaps in Hindi. If they want to be brave they can release little snippets of each of these women lighting dias and a little story about who they are, where they're celebrating Diwali. And of course, doing nothing is also a strategy. Hope Tanishq has the best Diwali and open minded Diwali shoppers make their wallets heard. Akshaara Lalwani, CEO &amp; Founder, Communicate India: Conceptualization of an ad campaign is backed by the vision to create an emotional connect with the audience. While ṭhis attempt may at times click well for the brand, there is a possibility of it backfiring too, especially during such sensitive times, when the world is battling through a global health crisis and emotions are heightened. However, keeping that in mind, it is also imperative for brands to believe in its value system and not change as per audience receptiveness. Thus, pulling down the ad wasn't the best way to deal with this situation and only reflected the lack of belief in the idea that the brand had executed through this campaign If we observe the audience engagement post-global-lockdown, it has reflected an upsurge in the rate of social media trolls. Having had the technological access and ample amount of time at hand, people are consuming content on a larger scale and hence brands have been put under the microscopic lenses. In order to deal with such trolls, brands need to evaluate and understand the sentiment that the campaign has brought forth among the audiences. Basis the audience reaction, devising a strategy that helps communicate the campaign’s authentic idea is the best way to tackle the situation at hand. Amyn Ghadiali, Vice President -Business &amp; Strategy, Gozoop: It definitely sets a wrong precedent. I believe that more than trolls, the customers also lose faith in the brand because it doesn’t have the courage to see through things that they actually believe in. If I were the brand custodian at Tanishq, the fundamental question I would ask myself is that do I believe in what I am saying &amp; are the ones trolling me/ my customers? If they are, then I would really like to understand their POV better rather than pulling down the ad. If they are random trolls, who never would be able to afford my brand, why even bother? Also, if a brand believes in a progressive society, I would want to have customers who share that ideology. Look at how Jeff Bezos supported black lives matter. I wouldn’t call it strategy, I would simply call them principles. We all know principles mean nothing if they don’t cost us something. The best way to deal with trolls is to create an army of brand advocates that stand by your decision and belief. In-case of a polarising debate like that of Tanishq or for that matter any brand, it is important to have a spine and stick through. People who support your belief system will come forward, defend you and in-fact respect you even more.

Is Tanishq’s Ekatvam Diwali ad being pulled down setting a wrong precedent?

<ul><li>Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) also received a complaint against the <keyword id="10099376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tanishq-advertisement">Tanishq advertisement</keyword>, stating that it promoted communal intermingling. </li><li>The industry body has, however, dismissed the consumer complaint. </li></ul>Tanishq launched a campaign ‘Ekatvam’, which showed the baby shower of a Hindu woman married to a Muslim man. The ad, if anything, celebrated inclusivity by showcasing an inter-faith marriage. The ad however, did not go down well with a lot of people. The ad was trolled by people who said it normalized ‘Love jihad’. The brand, to the disappointment of a lot of people, succumbed to this social media trolling and removed it from all its social media handles. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) also received a complaint against the Tanishq advertisement, stating it to be objectionable since it promoted communal intermingling and the industry body has dismissed the complaints. The advertisement in question was viewed at ASCI by an independent multi stakeholder panel- The Consumer Complaints Council, which balances view points from industry, civil society, lawyers, consumer activists as well as domain experts. This panel was unanimous that nothing in the advertisement was indecent or vulgar or repulsive, which is likely in the light of generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, to cause grave and widespread offence. The complaint was not upheld, as the advertisement did not violate the ASCI codes of honesty, truthfulness and decency in advertising. Therefore, ASCI has no objection to the airing of this advertisement, should the advertiser choose to do so. The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) appealed to the concerned Governments to take a serious view of such intimidating behaviour. It said that any attempt to stifle with the fundamental right to express and receive commercial expression as guaranteed in Section 19 (1) (A) of the Constitution of India, should be condemned in the strongest of terms. IAA spokesperson said, "The IAA has always stood for freedom of commercial speech and expression, self-regulation and gender-parity. Our many meaningful initiatives in these areas stand testimony to that commitment. The marcom industry has always used its creative depth to create messages that promote amity, peace and harmony in every area of life and work. . The events which led to the recent Tanishq advertisement being pulled back are very unfortunate. While we respect the opinion of every individual on subjective matters, these should not descend to illegal threats and anti-social behaviour. We appeal to the concerned Governments to take a serious view of such intimidating behaviour and take exemplary action where required to ensure that businesses are provided a safe environment to communicate their brand advertising messages and contribute to economic resurgence of the country. Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) also disapproved the targeting of the recent <keyword id="2851713" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tanishq-Ad">Tanishq ad</keyword> featuring an inter-faith couple. In a statement released to the press, The association said, " The threats against Tanishq as well as its employees, which led to the withdrawal of the advertisement, are a matter of great regret and concern. The advertisement in question, in fact, had been viewed at the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) by an independent panel- The Consumer Complaints Council, which is representative of multiple stakeholders from industry, civil society, lawyers and consumer activists. The panel found nothing in the advertisement that was indecent or objectionable or repulsive that could lead to grave and widespread offence. There is a consensus among all allied bodies and The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter and The Advertising Club also support this." Tanishq had also issued an apology and pulled down its ad after its employees received several threats. “The idea behind the Ekatvam campaign is to celebrate the coming together of people from different walks of life, local communities and families during these challenging times and celebrate the beauty of oneness. This film has stimulated divergent and severe reactions, contrary to its very objective,” said Tanishq Spokesperson.

Nothing in the Tanishq ad was indecent, vulgar or repulsive: ASCI

<ul><li><keyword id="247533" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karthik-Srinivasan">Karthik Srinivasan</keyword>, Independent Brand Consultant and Social Media Expert <a href="https://beastoftraal.com/2020/10/13/tanishqs-ekatvam-the-oneness-broken/" data-type="tilCustomLink">writes</a> why Tanishq's ad has been withdrawn. </li><li>He traces some of the old Hindu-Muslim ads that have been trolled in the past for assorted reasons or have been withdrawn, too. </li></ul>Have you seen the new Tanishq Ekatvam ad film titled ‘Confluence’? No? You cannot, anymore. Because Tanishq has officially succumbed to the online trolls and removed the video from all their platforms. Watch a copy of the ad, here: <div type="twitter" handle="ShashiTharoor" handlename="Shashi Tharoor" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1280501371431800833/aoWxPcWK_normal.jpg" favoritecount="11107" retweetcount="2267" status="So Hindutva bigots have called for a boycott of ⁦@TanishqJewelry⁩ for highlighting Hindu-Muslim unity through this… https://t.co/V9IiFtEmgU" createdat="1602554129000" id="1315833504253374464"></div>They started with comments enabled and Likes/Dislikes allowed. Then they disabled both. Finally, they have removed the video. Why? The kind of comments they are getting for the same video on Facebook would offer you a reason. Here’s a snapshot. There’s a lot more on Twitter that’s hundred times more vile and vicious, including naming and abusing specific employees of Tanishq. <div type="image" title="tanishq-ekatvam-FB-comments-1536x690" msid="78633618" hostid="261"></div> To be honest, I was very, very surprised that someone at Tanishq and their ad agency considered this script, passed it for production, and were bold enough to release it now. That this needs to be called ‘bold’, in itself, is an odd situation to be in. We had a time when a Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre wore nothing but a snake to sell shoes and we used to call that ‘bold’. Within days of its release, the ad has found virulent denouncement. And boycott calls too. So what exactly is the problem in the ad according to the detractors? It supposedly normalizes “Love Jihad”, a term that has been categorically stated in the Parliament as a non-existent concept by the ruling party’s own <a href="https://bit.ly/3nFWXwY" target="_blank">junior home minister G Kishan Reddy in February 2020</a> (much like there is no record, meaning, explanation or context for ‘tukde tukde gang’, a term used to defame anyone not fitting a particular narrative). <div type="image" title="no-love-jihad-parliament" msid="78633628" hostid="261"></div> Not all inter-faith marriages deserve to be called out derogatorily or sweepingly denounced or dismissed. Does the ad claim that this is representative of all of India? No. Does the ad showcase violence between people? No. Does it show that people live in harmony, beyond their religion? Yes. Is this kind of harmony impossible? No. Is this kind of harmony needed? Of course. So, what’s the problem then? The problem is supposed to be that since gullible Hindu women (who, under the ‘Love Jihad’ conspiracy theory, have no agency of their own and are mere puppets that can be led anywhere) are being lured by rabid men from Islam/other religions, according to the theory of “Love Jihad”, this ad shows the opposite – that a Hindu woman is living peacefully with her Muslim husband and family, who are arranging an extensive Hindu-style VaLai Kaappu ceremony (Godh Bharai/Indian-style baby shower) for her. Is the man shown in the ad violent and abusive? No. Is the family ill-treating their daughter-in-law? No. Is this scenario impossible? Hardly. I have at least 3 friends with the same set-up – Hindu wife-Muslim husband. They are living as normally as anyone else. They celebrate both festivals with equal fervor. So, can’t the ad showcase what-could-be? Of course, it can. That’s what advertising does anyway – showing the what-is-possible scenario. And this is not necessarily a make-believe world – it is what it is, at least when I look at my own friends. The what-could-be is usually based on insights on user behavior, with the usual advertising-led exaggeration layered in. Are there exceptions to what’s being shown? Absolutely, there could be. Do exceptions become the norm? Not at all. They are not, and shouldn’t. The other major gripe with the ad, as per angry comments is, “Why can’t they show the reverse? A Muslim wife and Hindu husband?”. Yeah, why not? But, <a href="https://bit.ly/closeup-2018">Closeup, the toothpaste brand, tried showing both, in 2 different ad films, in a 2018 campaign</a> (my post from 2018 has all the context, but the videos have been removed by Closeup). Both got trolled heavily and Closeup withdrew both! There’s no end to this trolling. <div type="image" title="closeup ad" msid="78633641" hostid="261"></div> <div type="image" title="closeup ad 1" msid="78633657" hostid="261"></div> So, I’m genuinely surprised that Tanishq and its agency actually passed this, knowing fully well the kind of reactions it may lead to. I’m fairly sure they do not live in a bubble to not know what kind of reactions to expect for this ad film. All they are showing is a happy, sane and peaceful coexistence of religions. But in a situation where there is a constant need to hold up a villain for people to be perpetually angry and fearful about, this ad becomes yet another easy target. Tanishq hasn’t done anything wrong, or haven’t shown anything to be ashamed of. So, it is sad that they had to succumb to the online trolling and withdraw their ad. <div type="twitter" handle="bysurbhigupta" handlename="Surbhi Gupta سربھی گپتا" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1191368606921084928/H8tGptdw_normal.jpg" favoritecount="10365" retweetcount="1846" status="&quot;I will not buy jewelry from #Tanishq&quot;&quot;Why beta?&quot;&quot;Because they show a loving Muslim family and how caring they ar… https://t.co/VnQpw6LbMM" createdat="1602497250000" id="1315594936771727361"></div> For context, here are a few other ads that tread this ground, between the 2 religions. Most of them have been trolled for assorted reasons and some of them have been withdrawn too. Surf Excel – Holi, February 2019 | Agency: Lowe Lintas Mumbai <div type="Youtube" id="Zq7mN8oi8ds" title="Surf Excel Holi 2019 | This Holi, let colours bring us together!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zq7mN8oi8ds/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Closeup Lost Loves: Naghma &amp; Arghadeep, November 2018 | Agency: Lowe Lintas and VICE Media <div type="Youtube" id="mfCMKVQRGQg" title="Closeup Lost Loves: Naghma &amp; Arghadeep #FreeToLove" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mfCMKVQRGQg/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Closeup Lost Loves: Adithi &amp; Umar, November 2018 | Agency: Lowe Lintas and VICE Media <div type="Youtube" id="yj9IJY_IY3I" title="Closeup Lost Loves: Adithi &amp; Umar #FreeToLove" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yj9IJY_IY3I/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Brooke Bond Red Label – Ganesha, September 2018 | Agency: Ogilvy <div type="Youtube" id="AWsTJvM7jG4" title="Brooke Bond Red Label Ad Film" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AWsTJvM7jG4/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Brooke Bond Red Label – Neighbours, April 2014 | Agency: Ogilvy <div type="Youtube" id="tQuddKFhfFA" title="Red Label New Ad -- Neighbours" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tQuddKFhfFA/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Kaun Banega Crorepati promo, July 2014 | Agency: Leo Burnett <div type="Youtube" id="xjRto40PKts" title="KBC launch promo 2014-Neighbours" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xjRto40PKts/mqdefault.jpg"></div> - By<a href="https://beastoftraal.com/2020/10/13/tanishqs-ekatvam-the-oneness-broken/" data-type="tilCustomLink"> Karthik Srinivasan</a>, Independent Brand Consultant and Social Media Expert

Tanishq pulls down its latest Hindu-Muslim Confluence ad, expert writes what exactly happened

You Searched For "tanishq withdraws ad" and got 3 results

Is Tanishq’s Ekatvam Diwali ad being pulled down setting a wrong precedent?

Karuna Sharma

Nothing in the Tanishq ad was indecent, vulgar or repulsive: ASCI

BI India Partner

Tanishq pulls down its latest Hindu-Muslim Confluence ad, expert writes what exactly happened

Guest Author

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides