CAIT comes down heavily on Manforce for ‘derogatory’ campaign

Raising serious objection to an outdoor advertisement of Manforce, a contraceptive brand, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) approach the Union Consumer Affairs Minister Shri Ram Vilas Paswan for the campaign to be stopped in its tracks. CAIT found the contraceptive advertisement endorsed by its brand ambassador Sunny Leone as derogatory and most inappropriate to be linked with the festival of Navratri. The campaign was up in Gujarat & Mumbai.  

CAIT National President B. C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal while objecting to the advertisement said that “Manforce, the manufacturers of contraceptives, has taken the marketing ethics to a low level of irresponsibility. Their large banners in cities across Gujarat are shouting out to encourage youths to use Manforce condoms in the name of Navratri festival. Though they have not used the word "condom" on their banner the intention is very clear as the combination of words like "play", "love" and "Navratri" are coined above the large logo of Manforce. We believe that the said advertisement must also have been placed in other parts of the country as well.”

Both Bhartia and Khandelwal have called upon the minister to take immediate cognizance of this advertisement and direct the concerned officials to ban the advertisement and take appropriate action against the manufacturer and its brand ambassador.

In this context, the CAIT has urged that the Consumer Protection Bill which is pending before Parliament must be passed in its next session so that brand ambassadors can be brought under the ambit of the said Act.