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No need for crackers this Diwali, your outrage is enough!

The festive season in India brings prodigious opportunities for brands to roll out their innovative advertisement campaigns.

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By Shruti Kaushal

The festive season in India is the playground for brands to roll out their innovative ad campaigns. From homecoming to away-from-home tales, brands spare no efforts to pitch their products, and double their sale. However, ad campaigns in the digital age are not confined to sentimental tales and promoting preconceived beliefs. Along with exhibiting their creativity, brands are breaking new ground to drive home social messages along with festivals. But like elsewhere, there will always be those who will be the first to take offence, citing religious sentiments.

With each passing day, another social media outrage! With the internet being accessible to a large section of the population in India, social media outrage is a walk in the park. The latest victim is giant designer brand Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s mangalsutra campaign. The traditional neck ornament that is synonymous with love and the commitment of a wife towards her husband got a little adventurous and politically correct for the tastes of the outraging Outrams.

The campaign in question featured intimate portraits of women and men. It showed a woman in a plunging neck dress and posing intimately with a man. Followed by the launch of the campaign, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra joined the choir of “hurting Hindu sentiments”. The minister issued a 24-hour-ultimatum and threatened to send the police after him. And the designer chose to withdraw the ad.

Deja vu? Last week, another ad campaign by Dabur on Karwa Chauth also succumbed to social media outrage. The ad depicted an LGBTQ couple celebrating the Hindu festival Karwa Chauth, traditional et al but a tad regressive. Conventionally, a married woman fasts for her husband and pray for his longevity. Trolls called it obscene and yes, of course, the chorus sang “hurting religious sentiments”. Two years after the Supreme Court decriminalized IPC Section 377, allowing consensual sex between two adults of the same sex, the same Narottam Mishra got offended by the portrayal of a lesbian couple observing the festival.

Well, this is not it. Following the boycott ‘riwaaz’, social media users demanded the FabIndia’s Jashn-e-Riwaaz Diwali campaign to pull down their advertisement. The brand was ruthlessly trolled for unnecessarily uplifting secularism and hurting religious sentiments for using an Urdu phrase for a festival that is Hindu. Followed by the trolling, FabIndia was forced to withdraw its advertisement. It issued a statement saying that the collection was not a Deepavali collection and that its actual Deepavali collection will be called ‘Jhilmil si Diwali’. Barring a few, no one asked FabIndia why it won’t curate such an elaborate collection for Eid.

Read Also: Dhanteras 2021: Want to switch from Android to IOS? Check these festive deals

It’s Manyavar-Mohey’s turn now. The wedding advertisement featuring Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt hit headlines and joined the boycott trend earlier last month. Reason? For throwing light on how a girl child is considered as a liability in India who is just born to get married and go to her ‘own house’ which is her husband’s. The advertisement did not only trigger trolls but also nepotism destroyer-in-chief Kangana Ranaut, who felt the need for ‘re-establishment of Ram Rajya’, and bashed the ad for mocking Hindu rituals. However, the brand stood by its progressive message and opted not to withdraw the ad. Commendable, ain’t it?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL4dQglJDfj/

The boycotting of ads has undeniably pushed us to wonder at both the creativity of a resilient few and the crass hypocrisy of the vast mob. Brands are spending massive budgets on socially conscious campaigns and using their creativity to speak up for progressive causes. So will you burst crackers or light them diyas, Happy Diwali to both parties! Save the outrage after November 4, thank you.

Gadgets

Oppo Find N5 set to launch with 50W wireless charging and IPX9 water resistance

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Oppo Find N5 being tested underwater to showcase its IPX9 water resistance rating.

Oppo has officially confirmed that its latest innovation, the Find N5, will support 50W wireless charging and feature an IPX9 water resistance rating. The announcement comes as part of a series of teases highlighting the capabilities of this next-generation foldable smartphone, set to launch in February.

According to recent leaks, the Find N5 will be the first smartphone to incorporate the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, signaling significant performance enhancements. Pete Lau, Oppo’s Chief Product Officer, has touted the device as the “thinnest foldable phone,” positioning it against leading competitors like the latest iPhone in terms of sleek design.

Zhou Yibao, head of the Oppo Find series, shared insights via Weibo about the Find N5’s advanced features. The device not only matches the wireless charging speeds of newly released models like the Oppo Find X8 Pro and OnePlus 13 but also integrates seamlessly with in-car systems from major electric vehicle brands such as BYD and NIO.

In a compelling demonstration of its durability, a recent video posted by Yibao showed the Find N5 being submerged underwater, showcasing its capability to withstand significant water exposure, evidenced by its IPX9 rating. This test included recording underwater videos, highlighting the phone’s versatile camera capabilities in extreme conditions.

The Find N5 also sports a refined design with slimmer borders and a larger overall form factor compared to its predecessors, which could attract users looking for a sleek yet robust foldable phone.

As anticipation builds, Oppo has begun sharing images of the Find N5, revealing a foldable design as thin as a USB-C port when opened. This device promises to merge aesthetic appeal with functional excellence, setting a new benchmark in the evolving foldable phone market.

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India News

Saif Ali Khan out of hospital six days after stabbing at his residence

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Detained individual linked to the stabbing of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan being escorted by police.

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has returned to his home after being discharged from the hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained from a stabbing incident at his residence last week. The actor, known for his roles in films such as “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Tanhaji,” was reportedly attacked unexpectedly in his home, leading to his hospitalization.

The incident, which sent shockwaves through the Bollywood community and his fanbase, occurred late at night and resulted in multiple injuries for Khan. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he received immediate medical attention. The specifics of the incident, including the motive and the identity of the assailant, have not been publicly disclosed by the authorities.

During his stay at the hospital, Khan was under constant medical supervision and underwent several treatments to address his injuries. His discharge comes after a six-day period of intensive care, indicating a stable recovery.

Family members and representatives of Khan have expressed their gratitude to the medical team for their efforts and to fans for their support and well wishes during this challenging time. While the actor has been released from the hospital, he is expected to continue his recovery at home under the guidance of his personal doctors.

The Mumbai Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and further details are expected to be released as the investigation progresses.

This troubling event has sparked a conversation about the safety of public figures and the pressures they face. As Khan recuperates at home, the film industry and his supporters worldwide hope for his full recovery and return to the silver screen.

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Delhi Assembly elections: BJP promises free education and student aid, AAP raises concerns

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Arvind Kejriwal addressing media after writing to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on BJP’s alleged electoral misconduct

As Delhi gears up for the upcoming assembly elections on February 5, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released the second installment of its election manifesto, promising comprehensive solutions to citizen issues and tackling misgovernance and corruption allegations against the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The manifesto, dubbed ‘sankalp patra,’ includes significant pledges such as free education from pre-school to postgraduate levels for needy students at government institutions, and a financial package comprising Rs 15,000 and travel reimbursements for young individuals taking entrance exams. Scheduled Caste students enrolled in technical and professional courses are also promised a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000.

Building on their first manifesto which targeted women voters, the BJP’s latest promises focus on the youth, with over 1.5 lakh set to benefit from a new skills training program. This release follows criticisms by AAP of the BJP’s approach, especially after the tragic incident last July where three civil service aspirants lost their lives due to flooding.

Anurag Thakur, former Union Minister, emphasized the ‘Modi ki guarantee’ assurance, stating these initiatives would be implemented swiftly if the BJP is elected. The manifesto also includes welfare measures for domestic workers and insurance schemes for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, who have traditionally been a strong support base for AAP.

In response, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal critiqued the BJP’s plans, particularly highlighting a clause that, according to him, would limit free education to only “eligible” children, deviating from AAP’s policy of universal free education. Kejriwal also recalled BJP’s earlier statement on discontinuing free healthcare, framing these promises as a threat to the financial stability of Delhi’s households.

The AAP’s counter-campaign warns voters that electing BJP could lead to increased living costs and bureaucratic hurdles in accessing education and healthcare, urging the electorate to consider these factors carefully. With the election results due on February 8, both parties continue to vie for public favor through promises aimed at key demographics.

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