Bank Unions Revolt Against Superstar Amitabh Bachchan For This Advertisement!
Bankers have demanded unconditional apology from the makers of this ad.
The objective was the pure, and pristine, no doubt: Showcase why a particular brand should be trusted. And the medium to showcase this message was also perfect: Superstar Amitabh Bachchan whom everyone trusts. And loves.
However, the way this message was showcased has angered bank employees.
And very soon, dharnas and protests can be witnessed, all across the nation!
Kalyan Jewellers & Amitabh Bachchan Anger Bank Employees
Kerala based leading jewellery retailer chain Kalyan Jewellers had roped in Amitabh Bachchan for an advertisement.
The premise of the advertisement is that, trust is very important and no matter what, every person should always do what is ethically and morally right.
However, in the advertisement, to showcase what is right, the director and conceptualizer showcased bank employees in a wrong light.
This has angered the bankers, and their biggest association in India is protesting it.
All India Bank Officers’ Confederation, which has 3.2 lakh bankers under their wing has threatened to sue Kalyan Jewellers on this issue.
They have accused them of “casting aspersion and hurting the sentiments of millions of personnel” through the advertisement.
AIBOC general secretary Soumya Datta has said that the tone, story, and the intentions of this advertisement is “disgusting, derogatory, to say the least and is aimed to create distrust in the banking system, for pure commercial gain.”
What Actually Happens In The Ad?
An old man, played by Amitabh Bachchan visits his bank with his daughter. The bank employees are indifferent to the old man, and doesn’t help him.
When he visits the bank manager, then the old man says that he has received his pension twice. On hearing this, the bank manager says have a party, and spend the money. Who will come to know of it, he asks.
In response, the old man, says that he knows what is the truth, and one should always do what is right.
The portrayal of the bank employees as lazy, corrupt and inefficient has angered the bank employees’ union.
Kalyan Jewellers Responds
Kalyan Jewellers have assured the bankers that a disclaimer saying that the ad is fictional and bears no resemblance to any living or dead person shall be added in the video within three days.
In a statement, they said, “We state it on record that it is a pure fiction and at no point we have intended to generalize the bank officers at large,”
Bankers union across Kerala and other parts of the country have demanded unconditional apology from Kalyan Jewellers, and have asked them to remove the ad.
We will keep you updated, as receive more news on this issue.
