The latest television commercial by a washing detergent powder brand in India, Surf Excel, aimed at promoting friendship and brotherhood among communities has stirred up a controversy and the outrage has spilled over to an unintended victim.
The washing detergent ad shows a young girl choosing to get stained with the colours on Holi (festival of colours) in order to ensure her young Muslim friend stays spotless in his white attire before dropping him off at a mosque.
The commercial ends with Surf Excel’s tagline, ‘Agar kuch achha karne mein daag lag jaaye toh daag acche hain.’ (Stains that come as a part of a good deed are good stains).
Watch the ad:
The ad, which has been viewed over 9.8 million times since February 27th on YouTube alone, has however faced heavy trolling online by a section of people calling others to boycott the product.
The backlash has had an unlikely and quite a bizarre victim, technology product Microsoft Excel.
Users took to Google Play to leave negative reviews for Microsoft Excel, which has no connection to Surf Excel, except for the word ‘Excel’, of course.
One of the reviews said, “I used to like this app, until they partnered with Surf and made such a disgusting anti-religious ad. Now where ever I read the word Excel I can only think of anti Hindu propaganda. Shame on you for doing this.”
Another reviewer wrote, “boykot sarf excel. hindu birodh hai. pakisthan me ja kar business kar.” (Boycott Surf Excel. It is anti-Hindu. Take your business to Pakistan.)
Source: Google Play
But many called out the negative comments and reviews, saying the ad was 'nice and well-crafted' or saying it was an ad that 'India needs'.
