Bharat Matrimony’s Holi ad, Swiggy
ad and other controversial ads

[{ "selector": ".wmmdq-a", "duration": "1500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".lfoli-a", "duration": "1500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Bharat Matrimony’s Holi ad

Bharat Matrimony shared an ad on its social media accounts on the occasion of Holi, which sparked a row [{ "selector": ".ednaa-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 484px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".ggcbe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Bharat Matrimony’s controversial ad

This year, Holi coincided with International Women’s Day and Bharat Matrimony’s ad was on women’s safety during the festival of Holi [{ "selector": ".pxote-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 477px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".jwqqi-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Watch Bharat Matrimony ad

The matrimonial site’s ad featured a woman covered in Holi colours who starts wiping her face at the start of the video [{ "selector": ".blqqd-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 486px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".xzcme-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Bharat Matrimony ad

The ad goes on to show her with a bruised face underneath the colour [{ "selector": ".ndrcw-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 490px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".rszsl-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Bharat Matrimony ad’s
original message

The ad’s original caption highlighted how a lot of women have stopped playing Holi due to the trauma they experience through harassment but it was later changed [{ "selector": ".szwdd-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 463px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".bnnfu-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Bharat Matrimony faces
backlash over ad

Many users on Twitter accused the ad of equating the festival of Holi with harassment and #BoycottBharatMatrimony started trending [{ "selector": ".jeqxj-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 476px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".iztcm-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Bharat Matrimony ad
receives support

However, many users also supported Bharat Matrimony for highlighting the issue of women facing harassment during Holi [{ "selector": ".fmqqn-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 471px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".arezb-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Swiggy ad on Holi

Recently, Swiggy’s ad on ‘Holi egg’ also sparked a controversy and the food and grocery delivery app removed their billboards after #HinduPhobicSwiggy started trending on Twitter [{ "selector": ".lgekt-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 461px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".zzfwo-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Tanishq’s cracker-free
Diwali ad

Jewellery brand Tanishq faced backlash for their ad featuring Neena Gupta, Nimrat Kaur, Sayani Guta and Alaya F, where the stars promoted a cracker-free Diwali [{ "selector": ".ofroq-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 471px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".snwam-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

AU Small Finance Bank’s
gender-role reversal ad

Aamir Khan and Kiara Advani’s ad where after marriage the man moved into the woman’s home faced backlash online for showcasing reversal of ‘tradition’ [{ "selector": ".tjqbs-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 471px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".cswpj-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Fab India’s Diwali ad

Fab India’s Diwali ad campaign termed Jashn-e-Riwaaz was slammed online for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments [{ "selector": ".roxwu-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 481px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".rqude-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

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Bharat Matrimony’s Holi ad, Swiggy ad and other controversial ads

Produced by: Prashanti MoktanDesigned by: Mohsin