From fairness creams to cold drinks, insensitive ads by big corporations are always around us. The thing is, nowadays the internet lets them know that they’re wrong, and can bring about a change. Just yesterday, another company put out a callous ad that riled people up.
Kent RO put this up some time ago, and it immediately attracted outrage online due to its insensitive and tone-deaf nature.
Can you believe this ? I hope they get called out real bad – Kent go purify yourself !!!!! Shame !!! pic.twitter.com/e1lnSrCuLr
— Viji Venkatesh (@vijivenkatesh) May 26, 2020
The ad, for an atta-making machine, implies that a maid’s hands might be infected. They immediately got called out, and took down the post.
However, by that point, many people had taken screenshots of the insensitive ad, and they were angry at just how inconsiderate a big corporation could be.
.@KentROSystems you are SO sick. you need to apologise right now.
— Shireen (@shireenazam) May 26, 2020
Actually many cases have happened in urban homes and who should be blamed for them ? Maids ? How disgusting
— pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) May 26, 2020
This is in very bad taste @KentROSystems – as an owner of a Kent RO system and someone who employs house help, I am appalled. And angry 😠 https://t.co/kyy6NvGk3o
— Hitesh Raj Bhagat (@hiteshrajbhagat) May 27, 2020
I understand the outrage about Kent RO ad but are you really surprised? This just reflects the thinking of majority of the population.. that’s why the agency thought of this outrageous creative.
— Shayonee 💭🐾 (@Shayoneespeaks) May 26, 2020
Looks like KentRO is infected by classism virus! https://t.co/GycJNWpolb
— Manavi (@Ar_Manavi) May 27, 2020
Here is an example of dumb copyrighting. A completely insensitive message which passed the muster – no one in the creative hierarchy paused to think of the implications.#KentRO
— Puneet Mathur (@puneetmathur) May 27, 2020
should take this AD down and apologise. pic.twitter.com/51CYSCxUIe
Kent RO being racist, casteist and inhuman during these difficult times. Spread it so they withdraw this add of theirs. pic.twitter.com/LKy4NjogTF
— Clydeee (@Dsouzaclyde) May 27, 2020
The ad was seen as being in extremely bad taste, and has been deemed classist and highly tone deaf. Many started demanding an apology from Kent, which came today.
Please accept our sincere apologies for having published the Ad of Kent Atta & Bread Maker. It was unintentional but wrongly communicated and it has been withdrawn. We support and respect all sections of the society.
— Kent RO (@KentROSystems) May 27, 2020
Mahesh Gupta, Chairman
Further updates to the story are awaited.
