Vigil Aunty Ad
Advertising plays a pivotal role in the financial industry, especially for banks, as it serves to raise awareness, educate customers about services, and ultimately attract business. However, striking the right balance between effective marketing and avoiding controversy can be a delicate challenge. Banks often find themselves under scrutiny for their advertising campaigns, which occasionally touch upon sensitive topics or employ narratives that some may perceive as offensive or inappropriate.
One such recent instance involves HDFC Bank, which has come under criticism for its new advertisement featuring “Vigil Aunty.” In this 2022 HDFC campaign, the character “Vigil Aunty” was portrayed wearing a bindi resembling a stop sign. The advertisement was part of HDFC Bank’s initiative to promote secure banking practices, particularly in the context of cyber fraud awareness. To execute this campaign, HDFC Bank collaborated with actress Anuradha Menon to play the character “Vigil Aunty.”
The commercial conveyed a message that encouraged people to “Join the Vigil Army” and fight against financial frauds, emphasizing the need to stay informed about the latest scams and protect oneself.
Time to totally boycott @HDFC_Bank because they haven’t apologize after that much backlash because they hate hindus soo much. This company is owned by a Gujrati Jain. Even if they apologize we should boycott them and never use any service of HDFC. #AntiHinduHDFC #BoycottHDFC pic.twitter.com/dniPyVUm0C
— Ujjawal Rai (@Ujjawalrai0408) October 17, 2023
However, the ad faced criticism online, with some individuals labeling it as anti-Hindu. An upset user questioned HDFC Bank on social media, asking why they were seemingly mocking Hindu women by portraying the character with a bindi in such a manner. This user’s comment pointed to a perceived insensitivity in the advertisement’s portrayal of cultural symbols.
@HDFC_Bank What is this?How can you mock Hindu women like this?Do Hindu women wear bindi like this?What the need of a women in vigil army.@KreatelyMedia pic.twitter.com/pJmJCgrcZx
— shambu das (@DasShambu) October 16, 2023
Another comment echoed this sentiment, stating that whoever was responsible for the ad’s creative direction appeared to lack the basic understanding of respecting the cultural sensitivities of the bank’s majority Hindu customer base. It was seen as a significant oversight that failed to consider the potential offense caused.
@HDFC_Bank What is this?How can you mock Hindu women like this?Do Hindu women wear bindi like this?What the need of a women in vigil army.@KreatelyMedia pic.twitter.com/pJmJCgrcZx
— shambu das (@DasShambu) October 16, 2023
The media outlet, Kreately, publicly called upon HDFC Bank to remove the ad due to its perceived insensitivity. They pointed out that the portrayal of a bindi resembling a stop sign on a woman’s forehead was culturally insensitive and called for the bank to withdraw the advertisement. Kreately emphasized that as the fourth largest bank in the world, HDFC Bank carries a significant responsibility in representing Indian culture correctly.
🙏 @HDFC_Bank & @HDFCBank_Cares
Is this how you represent Hindu culture with a 🚫 on woman’s forehead?
How culturally blind are you?
You are the 4th largest bank in the world & you carry a large responsibility of representing India correctly
Please withdraw this infomercial https://t.co/cqOGFShzeP
— Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) October 16, 2023
As of the reported information, HDFC Bank had not issued a response to the criticism and concerns raised by the public regarding their “Vigil Aunty” advertisement.
