Delhi High Court Orders Halt to Beco Ad Campaign Targeting HUL Products
The Delhi High Court has ordered D2C brand Beco (parent Kwick Living) to cease its advertising campaign targeting Hindustan Unilever products. The campaign claimed HUL's products contained harmful ingredients.
The Delhi High Court has ordered D2C brand Beco, through its parent entity Kwick Living, to halt its "War on What’s Hidden" advertising campaign. The campaign targeted Hindustan Unilever's (HUL) Surf Excel and Vim products.
The advertisement compared Beco’s cleaning products with HUL’s and claimed that certain ingredients in HUL’s products could lead to skin irritation and allergic reactions, urging consumers to "Switch to BECO".
The court ruled that while comparative advertising is permissible, it crosses legal thresholds if the overall message conveyed to consumers is false, misleading, or deceptive. Beco failed to establish the truthfulness of its campaign claims. Consequently, Beco has been directed to remove all offending advertisements across all platforms within one week.
This is an interim order. A final determination on whether the LAS or BIT ingredients in HUL’s products cause the claimed effects will be addressed during the trial, involving scientific evidence and expert testimony.