'Never Intended To Outrage Women's Modesty', Says Perfume Brand As Govt Takes Down Controversial Ad

In its apology issued on social media platform, the company clarified that the advertisement was aired only after the mandatory approval.

The perfume brand Layer'r Shot, which triggered outrage for allegedly ‘promoting sexual violence against women’ through its commercial, apologised on Monday saying it was not its intention to hurt or outrage any women's modesty or promote any sort of culture. In its apology issued on social media platform, the company clarified that the advertisement was aired only after the mandatory approval.

The company added it has "voluntarily informed all media partners to stop the telecast/broadcasting of both the TV advertisements from 4th June with immediate effect".

"We, the brand Layer'r SHOT would like to inform one and all that only after due & mandatory approvals, we have aired the advertisements, wherein, we never intended to hurt anyone's sentiments or feelings or outrage any women's modesty or promote any sort of culture, as wrongly perceived by some," noted the company in a clarification statement released on Instagram.

"However, we sincerely apologise for the advertisement that consequentially caused rage amongst individuals & several communities and beg their pardon, "it said.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry last week asked social media platforms, Twitter and YouTube to pull down videos of the advertisement saying that it was "detrimental to the portrayal of women in the interest of decency and morality" and in violation of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code).

In its letter to Twitter and YouTube, the ministry said that the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) too has found the videos in violation of its guidelines . 

The action taken by the ministry comes after the Delhi Commission for Women wrote to the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur demanding that a "misogynistic" advertisement being played on mass media be taken off air. The women’s panel in its letter to the ministry on Saturday said that the advertisement “promoted gang-rape culture” and also issued a notice to the Delhi Police regarding the same.

Several Bollywood celebrities also condemned the "misogynistic" advertisement of a perfume brand which sparked national outrage and was later banned by the government.