Lux Cozi wins the plagiarism battle against Amul Macho

Lux Industries has won the legal battle against Amul Macho, with regard to its latest TVC starring actor Varun Dhawan. 

 

The TVC revolved around a scene which showed a woman holding up her man’s Lux Cozi underwear, indicating that it was best for Dhawan to stay away from her.

Earlier this month, Amul Macho had filed a complaint with The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), accusing Lux Cozi of plagiarising its famous ‘Yeh toh bada Toing hai’ ad, which was released in 2007. 

 

In a recent development dated 24 September 2021, ASCI overruled the complaint filed by Amul Macho, absolving the brand from all claims made by the complainant. It also stated that the allegations made were baseless and false and that the ad had no similarity in terms of concept and executional elements, as suggested by the complainant. 

 

The complaint also accused the rival's ad for bearing similarities to its old ad in general layout, copy, slogans, visual presentations, music and sound effects. 

 

However, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) observed that the advertisement barely had any resemblance, so as to suggest plagiarism. It also stated that The TVC was not in contravention of Chapter IV of the ASCI Code.

 

Saket Todi, executive director, Lux industries, said, “Our Lux Cozi advertisement is unique on individual points as well as in totality, and any semblance is fleeting and only in respect of elements commonly used in the trade, such as shape and colour of the garment. Through this verdict passed by ASCI, it is now an established fact that the advertisement bears no similarity whatsoever. The complainant’s advertisement was last aired in 2007, and thereafter, banned. No reputation, goodwill or brand equity can be vested in publicity/marketing material that has been banned to the public since the last 14 years. We respect the verdict by ASCI. Lux Cozi has a distinctive pedigree of innovation be it in product launches or brand building initiatives. The verdict reinforces the fact that brand Lux Cozi is built on a foundation of truth and trust.”

 

Udit Todi, executive director, Lux Industries, said, “We welcome the verdict passed by ASCI. As an established leading brand in the Hosiery segment, pioneering many firsts for the industry we must despise the false allegations by our competitor. This advertisement is something of a first, and the verdict does add some necessary clarity and sends out the right message about a responsible brand like Lux Cozi. We are already witnessing a growth trajectory in our sales and are very confident about our product’s success. We also find it surprising that our competitor does not have the attitude of fair play by acknowledging our success. They had filed the complaint after our new TVC with our brand ambassador Varun Dhawan was a huge hit amongst the netizens. As an industry leader we are always loyal and truthful towards our businesses and customers alike, and it would be highly appreciable if these kinds of misleading complaints are not floated to spoil any brand’s reputation.”