Underwear brand Amul Macho’s latest commercial for the release of Macho Sporto has not gone down well with the netizens. Featuring Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal and South star Rashmika Mandanna, the TVC has received backlash on social media platforms for ‘objectifying’ men.
The underwear ad shows Rashmika and Vicky in a yoga studio. Rashmika plays a yoga instructor and is seen ogling at Vicky’s underwear’s strap and losing the count. Later, Mandanna is trying to get another glance at his waistband as he lifts a yoga mat from the top cabinet.
Reacting to the ad, a user commented on its YouTube video: “When women ask for equality, this is not what they mean. Stop objectifying people. Moreover who’s going to buy a bloody underwear watching THIS ad?”
“Is it because of an underwear you got attracted to the opposite sex.. Then it’s better you buy underwear and share life with it…it takes a lot of guts to post something like this…its sad to see actors lack wisdom,” wrote another.
A comment read: “Imagine what happened if we switch the gender. Shameful ad.”
Netizens also criticized the ad on Twitter.
During the release of the commercial, JG Hosiery, the parent company of Macho had said that they are trying to break patriarchal stereotypes with their latest ad featuring Rashmika and Vicky.
“We are reviving our iconic campaign, ‘Yeh Toh Bada Toing Hai’, with a modern and trendier avatar of our brand, Macho Sporto. Although we are advertising men’s underwear, the campaign is centred around a young and confident woman who is empowered enough to gaze at a man she feels attracted to.”
“The campaign intends to highlight how today’s women don’t hesitate in making the first move. What better than a male underwear brand to convey this message and begin a fresh conversation,” Navinn Seksaria, MD of JG Hosiery was quoted as saying.
