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Bombay Shaving Company slammed for ‘Dear Prachi’ ad on UP Board topper’s facial hair. What CEO said

Bombay Shaving Company founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande shared a picture of the company’s ad on UP Board topper Prachi Nigam.

Published on: Apr 27, 2024, 17:52:46 IST
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A group of trolls showed the ugly side of the Internet when they bullied Uttar Pradesh Class 10 topper Prachi Nigam because of her facial hair, leaving people in disbelief. Several people spoke out in support of the teen and shut down the trolls. Many congratulated the young student on her achievements. Bombay Shaving Company also published an advertisement on the matter. However, their ad backfired, with people slamming it.

The image shows an ad on UP Board topper Prachi Nigam shared by Bombay Shaving Company founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande. (LinkedIn/Shantanu Deshpande)
The image shows an ad on UP Board topper Prachi Nigam shared by Bombay Shaving Company founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande. (LinkedIn/Shantanu Deshpande)

Shantanu Deshpande, founder and CEO of the grooming solutions brand, took to LinkedIn to share a picture of the newspaper advertisement and hailed his team for sharing a “heartfelt message”.

Also Read: UP Board Class 10 topper Prachi Nigam, trolled over facial hair, gets support from online community

“It was shocking to see the amount of hate targeted at a teenage girl who had topped an exam because of her facial hair. Our simple message to this amazing young woman with such a bright future. Love to see my team ooze class. No opportunistic sale, QR code, nothing. Just a heartfelt message to a fellow Bae,” he wrote.

Since being shared about seven hours ago, the post has gone viral, with many calling it “absurd” or “disgusting”. X users also spoke against the ad and expressed unhappiness over it.

How did social media users react to the ad?

“This is shocking and in very bad taste. Bombay Shaving Company needs better brand advisors,” posted an X user.

“Disgusting. Bombay Shaving Company is a bigger troll here by writing the line at the bottom,” added another.

A LinkedIn user commented, “Isn't this advertisement bullying Prachi on a national level? You need a better copywriter. This is disgusting.”

Also Read: Pakistani YouTuber slammed for vlogging her visit to sister’s grave. Viral video

Another expressed, “Hey Shantanu, this is absolutely absurd. Nothing cool about this ad, and it’s so unfortunate that even companies with reputations don’t want to leave a chance of leveraging an unfortunate incident”.

A third person joined, “Distasteful. Not every situation should be dragged for your own branding.”

A fourth wrote, “The line in the end screams desperation. Could have left the intrigue on without talking about the category the brand is in.”

Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad recently declared results for classes 10th and 12th. Prachi Nigam topped Class 10 with 591/600 marks. She shared that she wants to become an engineer by cracking IIT-JEE.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trisha Sengupta

Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.

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