ASCI suspends Layer’r Shot’s controversial ads

MIB asks YouTube and Twitter to remove the films

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jun 4, 2022 5:56 PM  | 5 min read
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The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has suspended latest ads for Layer’r Shot deodorant after they sparked a controversy for being insulting to women.

ASCI issued a statement in this regard. "On the morning of 3rd of June 2022, The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) was alerted to an advertisement of a deodorant product, which was in serious violation of Chapter II of the ASCI Code against Offensive advertising.

After seeing the ad, ASCI immediately invoked a special process called “Suspended Pending Investigation” (SPI). In most cases, ASCI provides an opportunity for the advertiser to put forth their arguments before a recommendation is provided on the ad. However, in exceptional circumstances, when it appears prima facie that an advertisement is in serious breach of the ASCI Code and its continued transmission on / through / by any medium causes or has the effect of causing public harm and / or injury or its continuation is against public interest, then ASCI would, pending investigation direct the advertiser / the advertising agency / the media buying agency and the media concerned to suspend the advertisement. The Consumer Complaints Council shall adjudicate whether or not the advertisement is in breach of the Code and pass appropriate order accordingly, after giving a reasonable opportunity of hearing to the advertiser whose advertisement has been suspended.

The said ad is in potential violation of ASCI’s chapter II, which states that advertisements should contain nothing indecent, vulgar, especially in the depiction of women, or nothing repulsive which is likely, in the light of generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, to cause grave and widespread offence.

In this specific case, ASCI wrote to the advertiser on June 3rd, informing them of the decision to suspend the advertising, and invited the advertiser’s response which would be tabled before the Consumer Complaints Council in the coming days.

ASCI has received confirmation that the channel that originally aired the ad has already pulled it down. ASCI also notes that the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has intervened to ensure that the ad is also pulled down from social media channels."

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) too wrote to YouTube and Twitter to remove the ads. The ads were launched during the first Test match between England versus New Zealand on Sony LIV. The ads have since pulled down from YouTube.


The two ads in question were accused by netizens of promoting rape culture and being demeaning and insensitive. In one of the ads, a group of men is seen entering a room that had a young couple and seemingly advancing toward the woman before picking up the Shot deodorant bottle. The other ad shows almost a similar scenario in a mall.

The netizens were quick to outrage against the ads:

LinkedIn influencer and head of creative at TCS Nikhil Narayanan wrote, “It's appalling enough that an ad like the terrible "Shots" deodorant ad was made in the year 2022. But what makes it even more awful is that this was not the consequence of one random, thoughtless person taking a camera and shooting something. That would still be understandable because everyone is entitled to their moment of madness. Doesn't make it right, but would still be believable. But this... This was different.” 

Marketing Communications Professional Lakshmipathy Bhat too had shown his displeasure with the ads on social media, writing, “What is shocking is that there was a 'process': of strategy, ideation, approval and production. And no one in that whole chain thought of raising their voice and simply refusing to go ahead? Client agreed to invest in production, a film production company agreed to make it and a channel accepted the ad!” 

DCW Chief Swati Maliwal said that such ads are promoting the ‘gangrape mindset’ and wrote to police to register an FIR against the company.

Published On: Jun 4, 2022 5:56 PM 
Tags Asci Advertising LAYERR SHOT

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