Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee withdrew the advertising campaign for his label's mangalsutra collection after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra issued an ultimatum to the brand. On Sunday, Sabyasachi was warned he would face a police case and statutory action if the “objectionable and obscene” advertisement was not pulled down within 24 hours.
"In the context of making heritage and culture a dynamic conversation, the Mangalsutra campaign aimed to talk about inclusivity and empowerment. The campaign was intended as a celebration and we are deeply saddened that it has instead offended a section of our society. So, we at Sabyasachi have decided to withdraw the campaign,” the popular brand said in a statement on Instagram.
The advertisement that features intimate portraits of men and women had triggered massive backlash on social media where users called the campaign 'anti-Hindu'. The photos have now been deleted.
Sabyasachi is the latest brand to be targeted over their ads in recent times. Last week, Dabur faced backlash for its Karwa Chauth ad for Fem Creme bleach. The ad, which had gone viral, depicted two young women preparing for their first Karva Chauth festival while one is applying bleach on the other's face. The ad again drew criticism from Mishra who slammed the idea of "lesbians celebrating Karwa Chauth". Mishra had said that he had asked the state's director-general of police to probe a recent advertisement by cosmetics maker Dabur, saying it was a “serious issue” and asked why such material was circulated only for Hindu religious festivals.
The attack on Dabur came soon after clothing brand FabIndia was forced to take down their Diwali promotional campaign titled 'Jashn-e-riwaaz'.