Arrogant Or Ignorant? Patanjali's Ad Says Dark Complexion Is A ¡®Skin Ailment¡¯
Baba Ramdevs Patanjali brand has joined the fairness cream bandwagon. The multi-billion FMCG conglomerate&rsquos newspaper advertisement published in December has triggered a massive online debate.
"Looking for a slim, homely and fair girl for our son" - that is usually how most matrimonial ads read - stress being on the word "fair".
The fact that Indians are obsessed with fairness is evident from the way a plethora of whitening creams do brisk business in the country and it is a sad state of affairs.
Now, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali brand has joined the fairness cream bandwagon and has made things a little too awkward by posting an ad which says that 'dark complexion' is a 'skin ailment'.
Also Read: Now Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Eyes To Become The World's Largest FMCG Brand In Four Years
The multi-billion FMCG conglomerate¡¯s newspaper advertisement published in December has triggered a massive online debate.
The ad which was published in Deccan Chronicle on December 17, describes the benefits of ¡°Beauty cream¡±, saying that the cream is ¡°extremely beneficial for skin ailments like dry skin, dark complexion and wrinkles.¡± It places dark-complexion in the same line as wrinkles and dry skin, literally and figuratively.
¡°Possesses the benefits of wheat germ oil, turmeric, aloe-vera, and basil etc. which are extremely beneficial for skin ailments like dry skin, dark complexion and wrinkles. Patanjali beauty cream is not just another cream but is a skin nourishment tonic and treatment. It gives you the confidence of 100% natural beauty. Try it yourself and suggest to your family and friends,¡± the description reads.
Baba Ramdev/Patanjali
Also Read: Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda Stopped From Airing Ads Of Its Chyawanprash That's Similar To Dabar
The company also alleges that it is the good Samaritan in the equation because the products MNCs sell are ¡°full of chemicals¡± and ¡°Patanjali products are natural¡±.
But this is not the first time Patanjali has courted controversy. Even the High Courts had restricted the company to air or publish advertisements in which Baba Ramdev's Patanjali is believed to have taken a dig at RB's Dettol soap and HUL's Pears and Lifebuoy.
The recent ad on complexion, which was first posted by a Twitter user, Karthik, left Neitizens seething.
#1
No Baba Ramdev... 'dark complexion' is NOT a skin ailment. Did Tarun Vijay write your ad? pic.twitter.com/laHsUVjFGL
¡ª Karthik (@beastoftraal) 8 January 2018
toeing the line of MNC beauty brands in framing dark skin as a problem. Only difference - MNC brands have, over time, become clever about how they state this in their communication. Here, Patanjali openly calls 'dark complexion' as a 'skin ailment'. This is severely ironic
¡ª Karthik (@beastoftraal) 8 January 2018
Outrageous. As if his skin is super white!
¡ª Bala (@sbchandar) 8 January 2018
So he should sell it as a beauty thing instead of an ailment like the rest of the corporates? What you are saying his he needs a better ad agency and lawyers.
Wondering whether the ingredients include those famous imported #mushrooms #fairnesscream #notfair ???
¡ª John K Philip (@johnkphilip) 8 January 2018
AAARGH
¡ª Nandita Iyer | The Everyday Healthy Vegetarian (@saffrontrail) 8 January 2018
Dark complexion is NOT in any way a disease or a disadvantage. Beauty is not defined by skin colour and don't let anyone tell you any differently.
For those who still think fairness creams are the way forward, WHO recently sent out a warning that skin lightening products ¡ª mercury ¡ª can have adverse effects such as kidney damage, reduction in the skin's resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression or psychosis and also peripheral neuropathy. Reason enough not make the mistake of buying any of these fairness cream products.
It's high time that companies manufacturing skin whitening/fairness creams stop blackmailing and intimidating us using a conventional and very shallow idea of beauty.
