After #BoycottAmazon trends because of Swara Bhaskar, company deletes tweet
Facing flak for its association with actress Swara Bhaskar, Amazon deleted the tweet which was a part of their 'Ajnabi Shahar Ki Googly' campaign. Those who called for boycotting Amazon were upset with Bhaskar's comment on Kathua rape, and termed it selective outrage. Many un-installed the app, and downrated it on Play Store, and the action by the multinational giant could be a result of the outrage.
Ajnabi Shahar Ki Googly: Swara Bhaskar's association with Amazon
Amazon India started a campaign called 'Ajnabi Shahar Ki Googly', asking people to share the problems they faced on moving to a new society. To give the campaign a celebrity push, many Bollywood stars including Radhika Apte, Kartik Aryan, and VJ Anusha tweeted their tales. However, it was Swara Bhaskar's tweet which backfired for Amazon, creating a lot of trouble.
Swara's moving-to-new-city tale gets Amazon in trouble
Swara's stand on Kathua rape didn't go well with many
After the horrific rape of 8-year-old girl in Kathua, Swara and many other Bollywood celebs joined the chorus to condemn the incident. However, their outrage was termed selective and they were blamed for giving it a communal color. Adding to this, many on Twitter believed Bhaskar's statements were Anti-Hindu and insulted Gods. All the rage against her is now spelling trouble for Amazon.
Shefali Vaidya had asked for boycotting Bhasker's movie
Columnist Shefali Vaidya had asked people to boycott Swara Bhaskar's upcoming movie 'Veere Di Wedding', who insulted Hindu Gods and temples. Soon, many loyal customers shared screenshots of uninstalling Amazon's app and gave it poor ratings on Play Store, upset with the brand's association with Swara. The kind of momentum the hashtag got hints the brand may be in huge trouble.
Tiny drops make an ocean, one angry user tweets
Not the first time, brand ambassadors affected companies' reputation
In 2015, after Aamir Khan's statement on perceived intolerance fuelled the already raging debate, Snapdeal had come under fire. Khan endorsed Snapdeal and after the controversy, his contract was not renewed, although the brand chose to not reveal the reason behind it. It seems Amazon India is headed towards the same path now.
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