In a recent legal development, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to remove disparaging references from its Lakme sunscreen advertisements, following a dispute with Honasa Consumer Ltd (HCL). The agreement came during a hearing at the Delhi High Court, where Justice Amit Bansal urged HUL to act swiftly and in the spirit of an amicable resolution.
The controversy began when Honasa Consumer moved the Delhi High Court, alleging that HUL’s advertisements for Lakme sunscreen misleadingly criticized its competitor’s product by questioning its sun protection factor (SPF). Honasa claimed that HUL’s campaign suggested that its “online bestseller” product offered inadequate SPF protection, which Honasa deemed as misrepresentation to consumers.
During the court proceedings, HUL’s legal counsel assured that the contentious advertisements would be withdrawn within 24 hours online and within 48 hours for hoardings. Both parties also agreed to temporarily suspend their respective contentious advertisements as part of an interim arrangement.
Justice Bansal emphasized the importance of removing the ads promptly, stating, “You can’t prolong the removal… Online [ads] can go within 24 hours.” This directive was aimed at fostering a cooperative atmosphere and expediting the resolution of the conflict.
In addition to the Delhi High Court hearing, a related lawsuit was filed by HUL against HCL in the Bombay High Court. There, both parties agreed to not press the lawsuit at this stage and focus on resolving the disputes out of court. This legal truce is expected to de-escalate tensions between the two FMCG giants, who have been involved in a heated advertising war.
HUL also faced another legal challenge in the Bombay High Court over comments made by Honasa Consumer Co-founder Ghazal Alagh in a LinkedIn post. HUL has demanded Rs 105 crore in damages for what it claims are false portrayals of its products in the Derma Co billboard advertisements.
Following the legal proceedings, HUL expressed respect for the court’s directions and reiterated its commitment to continuing its Sun Superiority Campaign with necessary modifications. “This ad demonstrates the pivotal need for raising awareness around SPF efficacy, transparency, and accountability in the sun care category, keeping consumer interest and safety at the core,” said HUL in a statement.
On the other hand, Honasa Consumer highlighted the constructive conclusion of the matter, stating that the modification to their advertisements would include changes such as removing specific terms and altering the color of the product packaging featured in the ads.
