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ShareMumbai: An international brand recently got a taste of local politics after the Shiv Sena forced it to change its hoardings.
To announce its launch in the city, Sisley Garments had put up hoardings of a skimpily clad woman at Haji Ali and Peddar Road. But soon after, the company received a call from its advertising agency, Art Media, asking it to change the image on the billboards.
"Our agency told us that there was pressure from a political party to change the hoardings as they were very provocative. They refused to give us any names," Ekta Saran, brand manager, Sisley Garments, told DNA.
"Initially, we agreed to change the one at Haji Ali," said Saran. "But the next day, the agency called again and told us that the Peddar Road one had to go as well."
Not wanting trouble, the company promptly replaced both hoardings. "We did not want to hurt anybody's sentiments or start any controversies," said Saran. "The shoot comes from our parent company in Delhi. We did incur additional cost since our previous campaign was called off."
Local Shiv Sena shakha pramukh Kiran Saraf defended his party's action, claiming that the hoardings were obscene, and warned that his men would do the same if they saw such provocative images on other billboards.
"People should understand that the Mahalakshmi temple and Haji Ali dargah are in this area," Saraf said. "Earlier there was a lady shown in a bikini. We called the agency and ordered it removed. We will ensure that such hoardings are not allowed here."
Saraf claimed that though he did not know the names of the Shiv Sena activists who called up the agency, he supported their move.
