Ad Campaigns
Bisleri ad attracts censure from teachers, gets schooled on social media
MUMBAI: It is to Bisleri’s credit that to basically every vendor or person on the street in India the company’s name is synonymous with drinking water! That’s the extent to which the brand has penetrated our psyches.
Nonetheless, the latest campaign by the bottled water seller has rendered itself unpalatable to some quarters! The teachers’ community of Rajasthan and Gujarat have come out in protest against the commercial released by Bisleri last week.
The film which shows a teacher teaching a classroom full of camels aims to humorously reinforce the Covid times messaging of “Contactless”. The students (the CG camels) ridicule the teacher for not knowing the importance of going contactless. The teacher then attempts to drink water from a pot (matka) by dipping his steel mug into it, which evokes more hysteria from his students. The oversmart camel then teases his masterji for being unaware about Bisleri’s contactless mineral water, bottled in hygienic conditions. He then tutors the teacher that “Samajhdaar bisleri peete hai” (smart people drink Bisleri) and tosses him a bottle of the drink.
Now the RSTA (Rajasthan Senior Teachers Association) and some other Teachers groups are up in arms, calling for a boycott of the ad claiming that it is derogatory to teachers, depicting the profession in a poor light.
Darshan Menaria, president, RSTA from Udaipur, in his tweet said, “We the teachers of India condemn Bisleri for its disgraceful comments about teachers… The preceptor #ShameonyouBisleri #BoycottBisleri.”
Offence has mainly been taken to the fact that a camel is being portrayed as smarter than the teacher! So much so that, some of them have allegedly written to the Prime Minister from Jaipur, seeking intervention in the removal of the ad and action against the bottled water company.
@BisleriZone ……For indian like me now ready to boycott Bisleri and now onwards we only use our local brands #boycottbisleriindia #BoycottBisleri @ZeeNews @1stIndiaNews pic.twitter.com/eQYnPbQ1P0
— Anil Gupta (@Anilkattakanota) April 28, 2021
The critiques of the film also said that it seeks to establish the intellectual superiority of choosing a bottled Bisleri water, as against potted water which is the norm in most parts of India, with its tagline “Samajhdaar bisleri peete hai”. That’s another thing that has not gone down well with people, who took to social media to register their objection saying that “Bisleri has insulted teachers and the ancient Indian culture of drinking water from pots in the advertisement, which will not be tolerated. The company must withdraw the advertisement and apologize.”
Bisleri ने विज्ञापन में शिक्षको तथा मटके से पानी पीने की प्राचीन भारतीय संस्कृति को अपमानित किया है जो बर्दाश्त नही होगा।कम्पनी विज्ञापन वापस ले और क्षमा मांगे।#boycuttbisleriindia #DDNews #indiatv #WithdrawBisleriCamelSchoolAd #boycottbisleriindia#BoycottBisleri@BisleriZone
— SUNIL KUMAR VERMAअध्यक्ष,महासंघ,स.मा.(राज.) (@SunilKu26627698) April 26, 2021
This is not acceptable . This ad is disgusting and disrespectful for teachers. Don’t degrade the nobility of this profession.
#WithdrawBisleriCamelSchoolAd #boycottbisleriindia#BoycottBisleri@BisleriZone @Aquafina @Kinley_India @kingfisherworld https://t.co/vHWUddA8Wt— Reena Yadav (@RinnyReena) April 26, 2021
#boycottbisleri @BisleriZone
If you don’t know how to respect a teacher, why do you insult him through advertisement? pic.twitter.com/OQgUD04jeh— Naresh Chaudhari (@NVChaudhari99) April 23, 2021
The hashtags #BoycottBisleri , #WithdrawBisleriCamelSchoolAd and #boycottbisleriindia were trending on Twitter . And at last count, the You Tube release of the ad had garnered 20,000 dislikes.
Bisleri launched its 360-degree integrated campaign with its new theme- ‘Samajhdaar Bisleri Peete Hai’ earlier this month. The first commercial in the series, featuring the cheeky Camel Baadal with his rider, aimed to reinforce consumers’ trust and raise awareness on the difference between the original Bisleri and fake alternatives in the market.
Conceptualised by 82.5 Communications, the second commercial in the series sought to make aware the consumer of the stringent production process that the brand goes through to ensure the highest standard of safety and purety. But the campaign seems to have run into rough weather, and it remains to be seen how the brand gets itself out of this Twitter storm.
Ad Campaigns
Indian Silk House Agencies launches ‘Shubho Smriti’ PoilaBoishakh campaign
Brand celebrates Bengali New Year with stories of 100 women and their saree memories.
MUMBAI: Indian Silk House Agencies has woven a beautiful new story for PoilaBoishakh, one stitched together with memories, emotions, and the timeless elegance of a saree. The leading saree retailer has unveiled ‘Shubho Smriti’, a digital-first campaign that brings together the voices of 100 women sharing their personal celebrations of the Bengali New Year. The campaign highlights how the saree remains an essential thread in these evolving traditions, from daughters gifting their mothers after years of quiet sacrifice to sarees passed down through generations carrying decades of love.
Indian Silk House Agencies CEO Darshan Dudhoria said, “What gives any tradition its relevance over time are the memories people attach to it. For over five decades, we have been closely connected to this cultural fabric. This campaign came from a simple intent to listen to these stories of our customers and bring them together.”
To mark the occasion, the brand has launched a dedicated PoilaBoishakh collection featuring handwoven textiles such as Matka silk and Jamdani, along with classic reds and whites, softer seasonal hues, and brighter options. The collection starts at ₹999 and is now available online and in stores across Eastern India.
By blending cultural nostalgia with contemporary storytelling, Indian Silk House Agencies has created more than just a campaign, it has turned personal memories into a shared celebration of tradition, emotion, and timeless style.
This PoilaBoishakh, the brand reminds us that the most beautiful things in life are often the ones we weave into our own stories, one elegant drape at a time.
