Campaign India Team
Oct 05, 2020

Ikea Australia apologises and 'unpromotes' social media campaign after Hindu group protest

While the video is still available on YouTube, the video has been 'unpromoted on social media'

Ikea Australia apologises and 'unpromotes' social media campaign after Hindu group protest
Home furnishing retailer Ikea has apologised to the Universal Society of Hinduism for a video which 'trivialised' yoga.
 
Ikea had released a video for the Australian market titled 'Ikea product pose Yoga' which drew protests from the Hindu group.
 
 
Cecilia Stenberg, a spokeswoman for the Ingka Group press office, in emails to Rajan Zed, founder, Universal Society of Hinduism, apologised for the video and stated: "We are truly sorry and apologise if this commercial from Ikea Retail Australia has been perceived as offensive in any way. We assure you that it was not intentional…the video is unpromoted on social media and Ikea Retail Australia will not re-activate."  
 
Zed thanked Ikea for understanding the concerns but urged Ingka group CEO Jesper Brodin and Inter IKEA group CEO Torbjörn Lööf to completely withdraw the video.
 
He said, "The inappropriate usage of Hindu concepts or practices or traditions for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. Home furnishing companies should not be in the business of religious appropriation and mocking serious spiritual practices.  Yoga is considered union with God, one of the six systems of Hindu philosophy, and mean for transforming consciousness and purification of the Self and attaining liberation." 
 
Source:
Campaign India

Related Articles

Just Published

1 hour ago

Content demand in India surges, forcing marketers ...

Rising content expectations, platform volatility, and technological disruption are reshaping the fundamentals of campaign planning.

1 hour ago

GST 2.0 and the festive economy: When policy meets ...

For India’s brands, retailers, and households, the reworked GST 2.0 is more than a tax reform—it is the spark for a new cycle of domestic consumption.

7 hours ago

Dream11 pivots to free-to-play model amid regulatory...

It has signed on advertisers like Swiggy, Astrotalk and Tata Neu, experimenting with campaign formats to target younger, mobile-first fans and seasoned cricket audiences.

7 hours ago

AI agents collapse the wall between marketing and CX

From HUL’s virtual try-ons to Zepto’s AI personas, brands and agencies face new roles as machines reshape leadership and trust.