Flipkart has found itself at the centre of a social media controversy over its unusual print advertisement for its Freedom Sale. The e-commerce company used an obituary-style creative to promote the final day of the platform’s sale, which began earlier this month.
The advertisement featured photographs and personal details of individuals inside memorial-style boxes, accompanied by a line in bold letters that read, “We Aren’t Sad At All.” The copy then suggested that while the people featured would continue to live, the deals offered as part of the Freedom Sale were nearing their end. “While they continue to live, our deals will soon leave,” the line read.
The campaign did not sit well with people on the internet, with many criticising the e-commerce platform for using imagery associated with death and mourning as a marketing tool. Many called out Flipkart, saying that the concept of their ad was insensitive, inappropriate, and in poor taste.