A recent perfume ad has left the nation in shock. Perfume brand Layer Shot had recently released two ads, which are joking and promoting rape and gang-rape culture. Netizens were furious upon spotting this ad on TV, and it sparked a nationwide outrage. Now Bollywood celebs like Farhan Akhtar, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richa Chadha, Swara Bhasker and Sona Mohapatra have commented on it.
Calling it ‘tasteless’, Farhan Akhtar said, “What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray gang rape’ innuendo ads!! Shameful.” See the tweet here:
What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads..!! Shameful.
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) June 4, 2022
Richa Chadha also slammed it and wrote, “This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… does every everyone think rape is a joke? Revelatory!”
This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… DOES EVERYONE THINK RAPE IS A JOKE? Revelatory! This brand, the agency that made this ad need to be sued for the filth they’re serving. https://t.co/M3YjbljAYN
— RichaChadha (@RichaChadha) June 4, 2022
Priyanka Chopra commented on Richa’s tweet and called it shameful and disgusting. She wrote, “Shameful and disgusting. How many levels of clearances did it take for this commercial to be green lit. How many people thought this was ok? I’m so glad that it was called out and now the ministry has taken it down. Appalling!”
Shameful and disgusting. How many levels of clearances did it take for this commercial to be green lit. How many people thought this was ok? I’m so glad that it was called out and now the ministry has taken it down. Appalling!
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) June 4, 2022
Swara Bhasker called it ‘beyond disgusting’. Mentioning the Hyderabad gang rape case, she tweeted, “A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India… companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it?”
A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India.. companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & ‘cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it? https://t.co/8tRbDTfuez
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) June 4, 2022
Singer Sona Mohapatra also reacted to the ad and said, “Theme – Gang-rape. Gagging after I saw it here on my twitter timeline & wondering if giving them additional publicity is worse.”
Theme – Gang-rape. Gagging after I saw it here on my twitter timeline & wondering if giving them additional publicity is worse. https://t.co/XrWPsQYsQ2
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) June 4, 2022
There was a nationwide outrage when the ad aired on TV, and on YouTube, following which the Information and Broadcasting Ministry asked social media channels to take it down. Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal said, “(Layer’r Shot) Deodorant advertisement blatantly promotes the rape mentality in the country. We’ve issued notice to Delhi Police that FIR must be registered & ad must be immediately taken down from all platforms.”
