GIVA has withdrawn its Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon after the campaign triggered intense social media criticism over its styling and portrayal of the festival. The controversy has now raised wider questions about cultural sensitivity, celebrity advertising and festive brand campaigns.
GIVA withdraws Raksha Bandhan campaign after backlash
GIVA’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring actor Kriti Sanon has been withdrawn after the jewellery brand faced strong criticism on social media. The campaign, released ahead of the festival, quickly moved from a festive marketing effort into a wider debate over clothing, cultural representation and advertising choices.
The advertisement showed Sanon in an Indo-Western outfit featuring a bralette-style blouse, cape and draped skirt while celebrating Raksha Bandhan. The styling became the main focus of criticism from sections of social media users, who questioned whether the presentation was appropriate for a campaign built around a traditional Indian festival.
GIVA subsequently announced that it had removed the advertisement from all media. The company said it holds Indian culture, traditions and festivals in high regard and stated that hurting the sentiments of any section of society was not its intention.
Kriti Sanon advertisement sparks cultural debate
The GIVA Raksha Bandhan ad controversy expanded beyond the advertisement itself as users debated the relationship between modern fashion and traditional celebrations.
Criticism focused particularly on Sanon’s outfit and the visual treatment of the festival. Some viewers argued that brands should take greater care when using culturally significant occasions in advertising, while others viewed the criticism as an attempt to dictate how women should dress during festivals.
The discussion also centred on the idea that festive advertising has to balance contemporary presentation with the cultural expectations associated with the occasion.
That tension is particularly relevant for brands because festivals provide some of the biggest marketing opportunities in India’s consumer market. Jewellery, fashion, food, e-commerce and lifestyle companies routinely build campaigns around festivals such as Raksha Bandhan, Diwali and Navratri.
The GIVA episode shows how quickly such campaigns can become larger cultural conversations when audiences believe the creative treatment does not match the occasion.
Pet-themed Rakhi element adds another layer
The controversy was not limited to the actor’s clothing.
The advertisement also showed Sanon tying a rakhi to a pet dog. GIVA said its intention was to extend the spirit of love and celebration associated with Raksha Bandhan to pets and families. However, the inclusion of the pet also became a point of criticism among some viewers.
The brand’s explanation suggests that the pet element was part of its broader attempt to present the festival as an inclusive celebration involving pets.
However, the campaign’s combination of a traditional festival, contemporary styling and a pet-focused narrative created multiple points for audiences to interpret differently.
Once criticism began spreading online, the original product message also became secondary. Instead of discussions about jewellery or gifting, social media conversations largely focused on the campaign’s creative choices.
That shift illustrates one of the central risks of provocative festive advertising: attention can increase rapidly, but the attention may not remain connected to the product or intended message.
Kriti Sanon responds to criticism
Kriti Sanon also entered the discussion after criticism of the campaign.
The actor defended the broader idea behind the advertisement and argued that the meaning of a festival should not be reduced to clothing. Her response became another part of the online debate, with users taking different positions on whether traditional occasions should impose expectations around attire.
The debate subsequently attracted comments from other public figures, including actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, who criticised the campaign’s presentation. The involvement of well-known personalities pushed the advertisement further into the mainstream news cycle.
What started as criticism of a jewellery advertisement therefore evolved into a broader discussion involving celebrity influence, women’s clothing, cultural expectations and the way brands interpret Indian festivals.
For GIVA, the issue was no longer simply about whether the campaign performed well. The brand had to respond to a rapidly developing public conversation around its creative decision.
GIVA says it respects Indian culture
In its response, GIVA emphasised its respect for Indian culture, traditions and festivals.
The company said its campaigns aim to celebrate joyful moments with families and explained that the Raksha Bandhan campaign sought to extend that celebration to pets. After acknowledging that the advertisement had inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some sections of society, GIVA decided to withdraw it from all media.
The statement is significant from a brand-management perspective because the company chose withdrawal rather than allowing the campaign to continue while the controversy grew.
For consumer brands, this can be a difficult calculation. Removing an advertisement may reduce further criticism, but it can also draw additional attention to the campaign because the withdrawal itself becomes news.
In GIVA’s case, the decision has ensured that the campaign remains part of the wider conversation around festive advertising even after the original advertisement was taken down.
Brand marketing faces a cultural sensitivity test
The GIVA controversy highlights the challenge brands face when trying to make festive campaigns distinctive.
Traditional festivals offer brands a familiar emotional framework. But they also carry established cultural meanings, which means audiences may judge advertising more closely than they would a conventional product campaign.
Business Standard reported that industry observers see festive advertising as a balancing exercise between creative risk-taking and cultural sensitivity. The debate has also raised questions about whether brands need stronger internal checks before releasing campaigns linked to culturally significant occasions.
The issue is particularly relevant in the social media era. Advertising campaigns are no longer experienced only through television or controlled brand channels. Consumers can immediately comment, repost, criticise or defend a campaign, allowing a creative decision to become a public debate within hours.
For marketers, that means the cultural context of an advertisement can be just as important as its visual appeal.
Celebrity endorsements increase campaign visibility
Kriti Sanon’s involvement gave the GIVA campaign substantial visibility.
Celebrity-led advertising can help consumer brands quickly attract attention, particularly during major shopping periods. But the same visibility can amplify criticism when an advertisement becomes controversial.
In this case, discussion around Sanon’s outfit and subsequent response became central to the news cycle. The jewellery products themselves received considerably less attention than the controversy surrounding the campaign.
This creates a familiar marketing dilemma. A campaign designed to generate conversation can succeed in attracting attention while still failing to deliver the type of brand association the company wants.
The GIVA episode is therefore relevant beyond one jewellery advertisement. It demonstrates how celebrity campaigns can quickly move outside the control of the brand once a cultural issue becomes the dominant narrative.
What the GIVA controversy means for festive advertising
The withdrawal of the GIVA Raksha Bandhan advertisement is unlikely to end the debate over the campaign. Instead, it has added another example to the growing discussion about how Indian brands approach cultural occasions.
The central issue is not simply whether a particular outfit is traditional or modern. It is how a brand combines clothing, storytelling, celebrity imagery and cultural symbolism in a single commercial.
For marketers, the challenge is to create campaigns that feel contemporary without overlooking the expectations associated with the festival being represented.
The GIVA episode also shows that audience reactions can be unpredictable. A creative idea intended to broaden the meaning of Raksha Bandhan to include pets became a debate over cultural representation and women’s clothing.
For brands planning future festive campaigns, the lesson is clear: cultural context can become just as important as creativity, production value and celebrity appeal.
Key takeaways
- GIVA has withdrawn its Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon after strong social media backlash.
- Criticism focused largely on the actor’s Indo-Western outfit and the campaign’s treatment of the festival.
- The advertisement also featured Sanon tying a rakhi to a pet dog, which became another point of discussion.
- The controversy has renewed debate over cultural sensitivity, celebrity advertising and creative risk in festive marketing.
FAQ
Why did GIVA pull down its Raksha Bandhan advertisement?
GIVA withdrew the advertisement after it faced significant criticism on social media. The brand said it did not intend to hurt the sentiments of any section of society and removed the campaign from all media out of respect.
Who featured in the GIVA Raksha Bandhan advertisement?
The campaign featured Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon. She appeared in an Indo-Western outfit while celebrating Raksha Bandhan in the advertisement.
What caused the controversy around the GIVA ad?
The main criticism centred on Sanon’s outfit and whether the styling was appropriate for a Raksha Bandhan campaign. The advertisement’s depiction of her tying a rakhi to a pet dog also attracted criticism from some viewers.
What did GIVA say after the backlash?
GIVA said it has deep respect for Indian culture, traditions and festivals. The company explained that its intention was to celebrate Raksha Bandhan and extend the occasion’s spirit of love to pets, but withdrew the advertisement after acknowledging that it had inadvertently hurt some people’s sentiments.
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