FMCG company Emami Limited has slapped FMCG multi-national Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) with an ex-parte adinterim order of injunction on June 19 restraining the latter from circulating and displaying the company’s television commercial for its brand Men’s Fair & Lovely with immediate effect till July 6.
“Under this injunction order, HUL has also been restrained from publishing the concerned advertisement or its parts through printing and any other means which purports to demean, disparage or denigrate Emami Limited’s product, Fair and Handsome Fairness Cream for Men, thus interfering into the direct goodwill and business loss for Emami,” an official statement by Emami said.
The same legal notice has also been sent to 7 TV Channel Networks (namely, Star India, Sun TV Network, Sony Pictures, Viacom 18, Zee Entertainment, 9 X Media and B4U Television Network) who have aired the television commercial before the injunction order came to force.
“HUL had started airing a television commercial recently for its brand Men’s Fair & Lovely claiming their product to be the original one, thus causing direct disparagement to Emami’s Fair and Handsome Fairness Cream for Men, by showing and naming the Fair and Handsome pack directly in communication,” the statement said. Emami went to the court of law requesting an immediate injunction order.
“The injunction by the court is a validation of how a blatant untruth and misrepresentation on originality by HUL cannot hold ground against the truth of Fair and Handsome, which is the first fairness cream designed exclusively for men and a category creator. The brand’s foundation is built on understanding and addressing the deep desires of men and their specific needs, earning immense trust since its launch in 2005. Consumers have rewarded this trust with a consistent market leadership of over 65% market share. We thank the learned court for upholding the truth,” the Emami release said.
Since its launch in 2005, Fair and Handsome Fairness Cream for Men has maintained a consistent market leadership which currently stands at over 65% (as per AC Nielsen data). Fair and Handsome also has a long established credential of being the very first men’s fairness cream in India, which actually pioneered the category of men’s fairness cream.
The injunction order has been granted by the Serampore court, West Bengal.
