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Bombay High Court permits Sebamed ads targeting Dove with no changes and asks to put an end on Lux’s comparison with Rin
HUL Vs Sebamed battle comes to a halt as HC permits Sebamed to continue its ads mentioning Dove with no changesAd&Media Insider
Sebamed gets a go-ahead from Bombay HC on its ad mentioning Dove as there was ‘evidence-based’ comparison
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Bombay High Court permits Sebamed ads targeting Dove with no changes and asks to put an end on Lux’s comparison with Rin

Sebamed gets a go-ahead from Bombay HC on its ad mentioning Dove as there was ‘evidence-based’ comparison
  • The Bombay High Court permits Sebamed ads targeting Dove with no changes and asks to put an end on Lux’s comparison with Rin.
  • Sebamed had earlier blamed Hindustan Unilever for taking the matter to court without giving a prior notice.
  • The Bombay High Court had passed an injunction order on January 11 after HUL took Sebamed’s campaign that took a dig at the company’s soap range to the court restraining its campaign from all mediums.
The ad war between Fast Moving Consumer Goods giants Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) and German personal care brand Sebamed -- that had everyone on the edge of their seats -- has finally come to an end.

The Bombay High Court on January 19 passed an injunction order permitting Sebamed to continue its advertisements targeting Hindustan Unilever’s Dove with no changes. The High Court bench concluded that Sebamed ads were backed by evidence-based data.

However, the court ordered Sebamed to put an end to its advertisement comparing HUL’s soap bars Lux, Pears and Santoor with Rin and detergent category.

“We welcome the decision rendered by the hon'ble Bombay High Court. As stated earlier, at Sebamed, truth and transparency are our key building blocks. We have a legacy of 50+ yrs and our products are known for their highest quality standards across 80+countries globally. Sebamed's entire portfolio of Skin & Hair care products has a pH of 5.5 and our claims are backed by robust scientific research. We remain committed to educating customers on the benefits of pH 5.5 and serving them with highly efficacious products,” Sebamed’s spokesperson told Advertising and Media Insider.

Sebamed's legal team further commented, “The judgement is an unequivocal acknowledgement of its endeavours to educate consumers about pH values of soaps and their effects on the skin. The Honourable Judge agreed that a fact-based scientific comparison did not amount to disparagement and parties are free to mention names of competitor brands as long as there is evidence-backed comparison.”

In Sebamed’s advertising campaign launched on January 08, it had claimed that its cleansing bar is better than soaps like Dove, Rin, Pears and Lux that its competitor HUL offers. It also compared Lux and Pears with Rin, a detergent bar, implying that HUL’s products are inferior to Sebamed. HUL had retaliated with a print ad claiming that Dove is dermatologists’ number 1 choice.

On January 11, the High Court bench had passed an order restraining the USV Private Limited and its affiliates, and their advertising agencies from using telecasting or broadcasting or communicating to the public the TVC, newspaper advertisements, hoardings and such other material in any language or any other content of similar nature.

The battle escalated on January 13 as Sebamed blamed HUL for taking the matter to court without giving them a prior notice.

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German personal care brand Sebamed’s dig at HUL’s Dove, Lux and Rin backfires as the company plans to take suitable legal action

German personal care brand Sebamed’s dig at HUL’s Dove, Lux and Rin backfires as the company plans to take suitable legal action

Sebamed gets a go-ahead from Bombay HC on its ad mentioning Dove as there was ‘evidence-based’ comparison