Controversy is usually considered advertising's worst-case scenario. When an ad attracts criticism, hashtags take over social media, brands are forced to respond and, sometimes, the campaign is pulled. But not every controversy ends with a ‘damage-control’ exercise. Some continue to generate attention for the brand long after the original campaign has disappeared.
The recent Latent episode offers an interesting lens. When his show India's Got Latent (season 1) was taken down amid intense criticism, multiple FIRs and legal scrutiny, the Internet was divided between those criticising the show's content and those defending comedy, creative expression, and freedom of speech with Raina at the centre of all the chaos.
Yet the controversy did not end public interest in Raina or his work. India's Got Latent returned for a second innings, with its premiere episode reportedly crossing five million views within hours of its June 20 release.
On August 26, Raina was felicitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a Maharashtra Cyber event in Mumbai. The event centred on cyber-awareness initiatives, including the launch of the short film Digital Arrest and the Maharashtra Cyber 1930 Anthem. Raina even joked about his previous interaction with the cyber cell, turning a difficult chapter of his career into a punchline on the same stage.
Raina's story is not an advertising case, but in the light of Giva’s Raksha Bandhan ad controversy, it raises an interesting question for brands: what happens when controversy kindles visibility? In advertising, several campaigns have discovered that backlash can sometimes give an idea a second life, generate earned media and, in a few cases, even contribute to measurable business results.
Amul Macho: When provocation became brand recall
Amul Macho has built its identity around cheeky, suggestive advertising, and its 2007 ‘Yeh Toh Bada Toing Hai’ campaign became one of its most talked-about executions. The campaign's depiction of female desire attracted criticism, but it also helped establish the brand as an irreverent player in the innerwear category.
The brand revisited that territory with its Macho Sporto campaign featuring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna. Conceptualised by Leo Burnett and promoted by Madison Media Omega, the campaign centred on the female gaze, showing a woman playfully looking at a man's underwear. It attracted criticism and online trolling, but the debate also helped push the campaign across social platforms. The film reportedly crossed 26 million views on YouTube, alongside 2,92,000 views on Facebook and 1,93,000 views on Instagram. While the numbers cannot be attributed entirely to controversy, the campaign demonstrates how provocation can extend a brand's reach when it is already consistent with its advertising personality.
Tanishq's Ekatvam: When a jewellery film became a national debate
Tanishq's Ekatvam campaign became much bigger than a jewellery advertisement. The 2020 film showed a Muslim family organising a traditional baby shower for their pregnant Hindu daughter-in-law, presenting an interfaith family celebrating together. The film attracted intense criticism, with opponents accusing the brand of promoting interfaith relationships and ‘love jihad’. Tanishq eventually withdrew the advertisement, citing concerns around hurt sentiments and the safety and wellbeing of its employees, partners and store staff.
But the controversy continued after the film disappeared. A Financial Express analysis using Google Trends found that searches for Tanishq after the ad’s withdrawal were nearly twice as high as before the controversy. Was it a commercial win? There is no clear evidence to say so. But it was certainly a visibility win. The advertisement became a national conversation, and its withdrawal led to a second round of discussions on whether brands should give in to online pressure.
Burger King's Mouldy Whopper: When ugly became irresistible
Burger King's Moldy Whopper campaign challenged almost every rule of food advertising. Instead of showing a perfectly styled burger, the brand showed a Whopper decomposing over 35 days, with mould gradually taking over. It looked unpleasant by design. The mould was meant to demonstrate that Burger King had removed artificial preservatives from the Whopper.
Here, the controversy was inseparable from the product message. The campaign generated 8.4 billion impressions and $40 million in earned media value, while sales reportedly increased by 14%. Positive sentiment also rose by 88%, according to the campaign case study.
Surf Excel: When a message of harmony divided the Internet
Surf Excel's 2019 Holi campaign was intended to celebrate friendship and communal harmony. The film showed a young Hindu girl getting covered in Holi colours so her Muslim friend could reach a mosque without staining his white clothes. Instead of universal applause, the campaign triggered a backlash. #BoycottSurfExcel began circulating, with critics accusing the brand of being ‘Hindu-phobic’, while another section of social media defended the film and its message.
The advertisement reportedly crossed around 7.7 million YouTube views, while the controversy generated substantial discussion across Twitter and other platforms. The campaign is another example where the backlash became an amplifier. Both supporters and critics distributed the same advertisement, albeit for very different reasons.
Zomato's MC BC: When the billboard became the content
Zomato's 2017 MC BC billboard campaign used a play on mac and cheese and butter chicken while simultaneously referencing Hindi expletives. The wordplay divided audiences, with some finding it funny and others calling it vulgar/inappropriate. Zomato eventually apologised and withdrew the campaign. But before it disappeared, the billboards had already made their way onto social media through photographs and posts from consumers.
There is no reliable evidence of a direct sales benefit, but the campaign shows how controversy can create a second media channel. Zomato paid for the outdoor placement; consumers helped distribute it online. The billboard had a limited physical life. Its digital afterlife was considerably longer.
GIVA's Kriti Sanon campaign: Has controversy become the media multiplier?
GIVA's recent Raksha Bandhan campaign featuring Kriti Sanon offers a more immediate example. The advertisement attracted criticism over Sanon's outfit and its portrayal of the festival, with the conversation expanding into questions around culture, women's clothing and how brands represent traditional occasions. Kangana Ranaut criticised the campaign, while Sanon defended the creative and argued that culture and values should not be judged through a woman's clothes. GIVA eventually withdrew the campaign and said it respected Indian culture, traditions and festivals.
It is too early to call this a success or failure. There is no evidence yet that the controversy delivered a commercial benefit. What is clear is that an advertisement that may otherwise have had a short campaign life became a much larger public conversation. And that is precisely why marketing enthusiasts should have their eyes on GIVA. Did the brand gain useful visibility, or did the controversy overshadow the product? Time will tell.
When does controversy actually work?
These campaigns make one thing clear: virality is not the same as value. Tanishq gained search interest but faced intense backlash. Zomato generated conversation but withdrew its campaign. GIVA gained visibility but also had to manage criticism. Benetton built enormous awareness through provocative advertising, but its commercial impact remained complicated.
The stronger cases have something else behind the controversy. Burger King's mouldy burger supported a product claim. Nike's Colin Kaepernick campaign was rooted in a clear brand position. Amul Macho had already established irreverence as part of its advertising language. For brands, then, the question is not simply whether controversy can make an advertisement famous. It is whether consumers will remember the brand behind the controversy.
Samay Raina's comeback and his recent felicitation offer a curious parallel. A controversy that once dominated the conversation around him has become one chapter in a much larger public narrative. Advertising has seen the same phenomenon. Sometimes the ad disappears. The controversy stays. And sometimes, so does the brand.
