Detergent brand Surf Excel is encountering resentment in India for a heart-warming commercial promoting Hindu-Muslim unity as part of its latest Holi special #RangLaayeSang campaign.
The one-minute-long ad features a young Hindu girl, dressed in a white T-shirt, who chooses to get stained in Holi colours in order to transport her young Muslim friend to a nearby mosque for prayers.
The commercial ends with its classic tagline: “Agar kuch achha karne mein daag lag jaaye toh daag achhe hain” (Stains that come as a part of a good deed are good stains).
Released on February 27, the video has already been viewed 8,812,204 times on YouTube.
The commercial could not have been released at a more appropriate time. As the Indian government and media continue to fuel war-mongering in the society, the ad comes as a breath of fresh air bringing with it a message of love, unity and humanity.
Unfortunately, it didn’t go down too well with some extremist circles in India who resorted to the hashtag #BoycottSurfExcel to protest the ad and its message of Hindu-Muslim harmony.
