'Haven't seen something this desperate': Bombay Shaving Company faces flak for 'insensitive' ad on UP Board topper

In an attempt to address online bullying, The Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) has come under fire for its recent advertisement in support of Prachi Nigam, the Uttar Pradesh state board exam topper.

Nigam, who secured an impressive 98.5% in her exams, was unfortunately targeted by trolls who mocked her facial hair. This incident sparked outrage, with many condemning the negativity directed towards Nigam's appearance and celebrating her academic achievement.

BSC aimed to show solidarity with Nigam through a newspaper advertisement. The ad featured a message to Nigam stating, "Dear Prachi, they are trolling your HAIR today, they'll applaud your A.I.R (All India Rank) tomorrow." However, the closing line of the ad, written in much smaller font, read: "We hope you never get bullied into using our razor."

This final line backfired spectacularly. Social media users slammed the ad for being insensitive and opportunistic. Critics argued that the ad trivialized the bullying Nigam faced and used her situation for a cheap marketing ploy.

Many expressed feelings that the ad reinforced beauty standards and the idea that body hair on women is undesirable. Some comments called the ad "absurd" and "disgusting," questioning the company's intentions.

Sharing the ad on LinkedIn, BSC and its founder-CEO Shantanu Deshpande wrote, "It was shocking to see the amount of hate targeted at a teenage girl who had TOPPED AN EXAM because of her facial hair. Our simple message to this amazing young woman with such a bright future. Love to see my team ooze class. No opportunistic sale, QR code, nothing. Just a heartfelt message to a fellow Bae."

"Bombay Shaving Company does a full-page ad for Prachi, the UP board topper, who was being trolled for facial hair. Haven’t seen something this desperate," a user commented  on X. "This message goes to their own TG, not to the people who bullied her, hey, please remember to buy our razors while you shed a tear for her. Read the line on the bottom right. Laughable."