‘No opportunistic sale’, says Bombay Shaving Company CEO about Prachi Nigam ad
Two days ago, Bombay Shaving Company put out a print ad in solidarity with UP class 10 topper Prachi Nigam, who has been a victim of online bullying over her facial hair. The endeavour failed when netizens pointed out the hypocrisy of the company that sells grooming products and profits off people’s insecurities. The full-page print has been called by many as tone deaf, opportunistic and hypocritical, converting a teen’s anguish into a moment marketing opportunity.
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The ad read: “Dear Prachi, they are trolling your HAIR today, they'll applaud your A.I.R tomorrow." (A.I.R stands for All India Rank.) The company also added, “We hope you never get bullied into using our razor,” in an attempt at self-deprecation. "They could've used this money as a gift to help fund her higher education, instead of amplifying the trolling she's been subjected to. Hopefully, their eventual 'apology' to Prachi will be a full page one, too. Unadulterated cringe," wrote one user. "i am really open minded so want to understand why their team thought this was a good idea," said another. "This company is exploiting a child for money. Shameless," read another comment. The company CEO, Shantanu Deshpande, took to LinkedIn to share the ad, insisting that there was no opportunism behind it. “It was shocking to see the amount of hate targeted at a teenage girl who had TOPPED AN EXAM because of her facial hair. Our simple message to this amazing young woman with such a bright future. Love to see my team ooze class. No opportunistic sale, QR code, nothing. Just a heartfelt message to a fellow Bae,” he wrote. However, Deshpande’s remark only seemed to make the matter worse for the company as the comment section for the post is rife with criticisms from the industry. For the unversed, Prachi Nigam is a class 10 student who topped the Uttar Pradesh board with 98.50% marks. Instead of being in the news for her spectacular achievement, Nigam hit headlines for being trolled on social media for her facial hair, exposing the merciless side of social media that doesn’t even spare children. The topper expressed her heartbreak to a news channel, stating that she wished she hadn’t topped the UP board and been spared from bullying instead. This is not Deshpande's first brush with controversy on social media. In 2022, he advised freshers to not do "rona dhona" and put in 18 hours of work for first 4-5 years, which invited sharp criticisms on LinkedIn. He later clarified his comments in a TV news debate, and apologised for the lack of nuance and context.
Tags : Up Class 10 Topper Bombay Shaving Company Prachi Nigam Trolls Shantanu Deshpande