The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has written to actor Amitabh Bachchan stating that his recent ad for Flipkart’s ‘The Big Billion Days’ is misleading and thus should be withdrawn from the Internet and social media websites.
In the letter, CAIT National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal expressed concern that the ad shows Bachchan claiming that Flipkart offers the “best prices” and “biggest discounts”, without acknowledging the fact that local shopkeepers also offer competitive pricing and discounts.
The letter was shared on the social media website X(Formerly Twitter) tagging Amitabh Bachchan and requesting an immediate resolution. The letter also mentions how advertisements like these are unethically and unfairly impacting the livelihood of shopkeepers. Apart from that, these ads also mislead consumers throughout the country.
“We are highly disheartened to witness your recent advertisement for Flipkart, where you claimed that deals and offers are not available at shopkeepers, thereby misguiding and influencing the consumers which we strongly condemn and seek an explanation as to on what
grounds you said such words in the advertisement in question.”, Praveen Khandelwal said in the letter.
We @CAITIndia & @AimraIndia express deep regret to watch @SrBachchan participating in a misleading advertisement casting unwarranted reflections on capabilities of traders of the Country. We strongly demand for immediate withdrawal of the said advertisement else we will be forced… pic.twitter.com/ZvF0fYVO89
— Praveen Khandelwal (@praveendel) September 29, 2023
He even raised the concern that the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are promoting Vocal for Local and such advertisements are against the flow. As per the letter, these advertisements are disregarding and disrespecting such government initiatives by spreading misinformation against local vendors.
After the backslash, Flipkart made the video private on YouTube and at present it is not visible to users.
Flipkart’s Big Billion Days 2023
Flipkart’s Big Billion Days is India’s biggest annual shopping sale, offering massive discounts on a wide range of products, including smartphones, laptops, electronics, fashion, and more.
The sale will be live from 8th October to 15th October and the promotion activities are going on. Flipkart releases advertisements every year featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Alia Bhatt to promote “The Big Billion Days” sales and reach their target audience effectively.
