Universal Society of Hinduism upset by Ikea's Australia campaign

The Universal Society of Hinduism has urged home furnishing retailer Ikea to withdraw a campaign video 'Ikea product pose Yoga' and apologise for the same. 

 

Rajan Zed who is the founder of the society, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that this video unnecessarily and unreasonably trivialised the ancient and serious discipline of yoga and called it highly inappropriate. 

 

Among the products is a martini glass and Zed labelled that quite out-of-line.

 

 

Rajan Zed further said that inappropriate usage of Hindu concepts or practices or traditions for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. 

 

Zed also urged Ingka group CEO Jesper Brodin and Inter Ikea group CEO Torbjörn Lööf to offer a formal apology and be serious about the vision 'to create a better everyday life for the many people'.  

 

Zed said, "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 meant for transforming consciousness and purification of the self and attaining liberation. This campaign video of Ikea Australia asks the viewer to 'follow Eve as she takes you through product pose yoga by Ikea' where she displays 15 yoga-asanas associating each with an Ikea product, like 'Barbecue tongs'; with a background voice talking about 'to quieten the internal fire we have awakened'; ending in Namaste with folded hands."  

 

This isn't the first time the Universal Society of Hinduism has raised an issue with advertising in Australia. In 2017, an ad for Meat and Livestock Australia featured Lord Ganesha. The High Commission of India in Canberra made an appeal to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Communication and Arts and Department of Agriculture about the advertisement.