There is no denying the fact that an advertisement is an important part of promotional strategy; however, if it doesn’t reach the audience well or receives backlash for some reason, things can turn upside down and harm the publication instead of doing any good.
Recently, an ad published by Times Group has been going viral on the Internet and social media for all the wrong reasons.
First of all, take a look at the ad:
The print ad wanted to convey that 42% of English news viewership consists of women and this number has significantly increased from the past. However, while trying to show this, they wrote,
“When Priyanka Chopra speaks about her next Hollywood film, Priyanka Kapoor, Priyanka Baweja, Priyanka Jonas, Priyanka Khan and Priyanka Kumar watch it too.”
Unless you have been living under a rock, you must be knowing that these are the surnames of people with whom Priyanka Chopra has or reported to have dated so far.
Such a sexist ad from the creative team of Times Group didn’t go well with people and they took to Twitter to slam the publication for stooping to a new low for the sake of marketing. Check out some selected tweets:
#1
Correction- Remove Times Now & its other nows since I had mistaken the stupid ad of Times Now over priyanka Chopra as Advertisement. However, by using her fame, they are indirectly promoting her which is totally wrong on the part of Times Group. 😡https://t.co/CE5XPaBIK3
— Tanmay Jain (@tanmayj41128048) June 28, 2018
#2
https://twitter.com/Nitu_23/status/1012314464543113221
#3
.@timesofindia has published an ad that is plain and simple SEXIST, DEROGATORY and OFFENSIVE. And at the centre of the ad is @priyankachopra.
Here, take a look. It’s an ad about the Times Group, printed in the Times of India. pic.twitter.com/Wp7YSj5n3l
— Meghnad Bose (@MeghnadBose93) June 25, 2018
#4
@TimesNow Are you mad or gone insane ? You are bloody no one to defame anyone and peep into anyone's personal life.@priyankachopra Take action against this shitty newspaper …… pic.twitter.com/j4uaKVFvw9
— Manjeet kumar (@monumanjit) June 30, 2018
#5
@TimesNow Hey times now, what's wrong with your marketing team? Who ever came up with this campaign to shame Priyanka is horrible. Why would you want to associate a powerful women with their ex & personal life? #timesnow #PriyankaChopra pic.twitter.com/6tp0ltGUPz
— Vishwanath (@vishneo) June 29, 2018
#6
This is disgusting. Priyanka should sue them for using her name in such a pathetic way. This is not women on top. This is putting women down.
— Trooper (@PC_SuperTrooper) June 24, 2018
#7
@TimesNow @ETNOWlive @MirrorNow there's nothing left to Indian news channels . Nothing but a piece of shit . @priyankachopra pic.twitter.com/Du7zS4JTad
— Vidyangana Shree (@VidyanganaShree) June 29, 2018
#8
This @TimesNow, @MirrorNow , @ETNOWlive ad is so ironical to its tagline #WomenOnTop! It reeks of sexism, misogyny and patriarchy! @fayedsouza should reprimand her own channel people now! @priyankachopra pic.twitter.com/RcC29DSyVz
— Abinash Gupta (@Abinash03111992) June 29, 2018
#9
NO idea who designs your ads, @TimesNow, @MirrorNow, @ETNOWlive — but just FYI types, this is really, really messed up on MANY levels. Especially since you're saying #WomenOnTop. Why target @priyankachopra? pic.twitter.com/uDXpblduZb
— Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) June 24, 2018
#10
@TimesNow @ETNOWlive @MirrorNow most disgusting level of patriarchal pigs designed the ad that shamed @priyankachopra. Because this women has achieved what the men in your network nevr had the balls to. #shameoneyoutimesnetwork pic.twitter.com/WbnTNcSwnT
— Uttara Dande (@uttarra) June 29, 2018
#11
Sexist level: Unbelievable.
Taking surnames of @priyankachopra's rumored boyfriends and writing like this. It's breach of privacy and bringing #WomenDown and not #WomenOnTop 😏 @TimesNow @ETNOWlive @MirrorNow pic.twitter.com/Imw70Fam07— Anusha Pathak (@ConfusedS0ul) June 29, 2018
What is your take over the matter? Let us know.