Videocon drops Dravid, Dhoni from ads; contract still on

NEW DELHI: Consumer durables major Videocon on Thursday said it would pull off advertisements featuring skipper Rahul Dravid and stumper M S Dhoni to save damage to the brand in the face of India's disappointing show at the cricket World Cup.

"We have not withdrawn the contract with Dhoni and Dravid, but we have decided to take a backseat and withdraw some of the advertisement insertions featuring the cricketers considering the public hue and cry against them," Videocon Industries Chairman and Managing Director Venugopal Dhoot said.

He said the company had already spent half of its Rs20 crore World Cup advertising budget and that the advertisements would be suspended only for a short while.

"The ad withdrawals will be for 3-4 days.... by then the public sentiment will improve," Dhoot said, adding that the company would continue to support the game in the long term.

He hoped that the Videocon Cricket Academy in Kolkata would produce young faster bowlers and openers.

India's first round exit from the World Cup after suffering defeats at the hands of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has triggered a national outcry in the country, where cricketers have come to become revered as gods.

Also, advertisers have been haggling with broadcaster Sony, which holds the rights to telecast World Cup matches in India, to renegotiate ad rates owing to fall in viewership following India's ouster from the cup.