Amid a controversy over its promotion of 'rape culture,' a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against perfume brand Layer’r for an advertisement on 'Shot' body spray, the police said on Thursday, 9 June.
The case has been filed under Indian Penal Code Section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form), on the basis of a complaint lodged by Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal.
This comes three days after the brand released a statement apologising for the ad, and said that they had acquired all the necessary approvals before airing the advertisements.
"...we never intended to hurt anyone's sentiments or feelings or outrage any women's modesty or promote any sort of culture, as wrongly perceived by some," the statement by the company read.
The DCW chief had also written to the the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, seeking his intervention in the matter. After the letter of the commission, the ministry had ensured that the advertisement was removed from circulation.
What Do the Ads Show?
One of the two advertisements shows four men at a supermarket where they spot the last remaining bottle of Layer’r Shot, after which they talk about who will take the last “shot.” However, the visual during this conversation is that of a woman, instead of the body spray.
A second advertisement shows a group of young men entering a room where another young man and woman are already present. They proceed to engage in a conversation where they make remarks with sexual innuendos.
What Action Has Been Taken?
On Saturday, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry had ordered the suspension of the two advertisements. The ministry asked Twitter and YouTube to remove the video from their platforms.
Meanwhile, the regulatory body Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) said that the ad is in serious breach of the ASCI Code. Adding that it is against public interest, ASCI said that it has taken immediate action and notified the advertiser to suspend the ad, pending investigation.
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