Marketing by faking death? Here's how the stunt dilutes the seriousness of the cause

Digital marketing agency Schbang has released a statement on Instagram, announcing that they, in collaboration with Hauterrfly, were responsible for model Poonam Pandey’s ‘death’ stunt.

In their announcement, they have apologised for causing grief and triggering a large section of the public.

On Friday, Pandey’s team had announced that the model had succumbed to cervical cancer, at the age of 32.

Pandey released a video on Saturday revealing that she faked her death to raise awareness about cervical cancer.

In their apology, Schbang has also mentioned that since the news of Pandey’s ‘death’ broke, cervical cancer has been one of the most searched topics on Google - a feat that even Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s emphasis on the disease during the Union Budget speech could not achieve.

They added, “Our actions were driven by a single mission - to elevate awareness about cervical cancer.”

The stunt has caused Pandey to receive some major criticism on Twitter. However, while some are blaming the Indian media for spreading the news, without verifying it, some have said that such orchestrated acts can never be exposed beforehand.

While the cause itself is undoubtedly worthy of attention, the method employed raises concerns about the dangers of misinformation.

For a cause such as cervical cancer, actual progress is built on trust and transparency, not sensationalised hoaxes.

Industry experts pressed the need for awareness campaigns to be based on facts, not fabrications.

“Proper awareness stems from honest and responsible communication, not fabricated narratives and manipulative tactics. Let's commit to building a society where truth prevails, and public health initiatives prioritise genuine engagement over misleading theatrics,” said Pratyush Ranjan, the head of PTI's fact check service.

While the searches for cervical cancer peaked ever since news about Pandey’s death went viral, the stunt has actually harmed the seriousness of the cause, added a communication expert.

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