The Delhi High Court has refused to stop a Gillette razor advertisement starring Deepika Padukone on a plea by Reckitt Benckiser which claimed the ad disparages its hair removal cream and was affecting its business.
A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva issued notice to Procter and Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd and Gillette India Ltd and sought their responses on Reckitt’s petition challenging a single-judge order refusing to grant it any interim relief. While refusing to pass any interim order staying the advertisement the bench listed the matter for hearing on November 20.
Reckitt has claimed that Gillette’s advertisement ‘Venus Razor’ disparages the reputation of its product — Veet hair removal cream — as the video terms its product as same old. It said there was complete rejection of its product in the video starring Padukone.
Reckitt claimed it is currently the leader in the hair removal business with a 60 per cent market share and the advertisement would seriously harm its business if allowed to go on..