India: Kitply ad promotes domestic violence vs. men, groups take legal action

The story is here and here. The views of SIFF and its allied organisation are here.

We have filed a legal complaint with the Advertisement Council of India; the hearing is soon. If they do not act, we have the option of filing in the Indian courts. Promotion of violence is bad, against men or women. We were able to get Ponds (produced by Unilever, Inc.) to withdraw their ad by similar protests. SIFF statement excerpt:

"SAVE INDIAN Family Foundation, strongly and severely condemns the derogatory ad being telecast at the behest of Kitply Industries. The ad shows a young timid man getting married to a woman and on the first night, the bed crumbles. The wife asks the husband, "Kitply nahi laye kya?" (Have you not bought Kitply?) and slaps the husband.

Openly, brazenly and cold – bloodedly this ad not only depicts domestic violence on men, but also promulgates it, inspiring women to do it and telling men that this is a way of life. World over, international studies have proved it beyond doubt that domestic violence is not a gender specific issue and is a matter of equal concern for both men and women."