Foxtale’s print ad pokes fun at Lakmé and The Derma Co’s sunscreen spat

Mumbai: ​Amid a high-profile legal dispute between skincare giants Lakmé and The Derma Co. over sunscreen advertising claims, emerging D2C brand Foxtale has seized the moment with a clever and lighthearted campaign. 

Foxtale's comic-style advertisement, featured on the front page of the Bombay Times, showcases a group of women debating sunscreen choices amid sweltering heat. The narrative culminates with the women opting for Foxtale's sunscreen, accompanied by a caricatured sun character that humorously remarks on the ongoing marketing battles, suggesting that consumers shouldn't be swayed by brand wars. ​

The campaign comes on the heels of a legal tussle between Hindustan Unilever’s Lakmé and Honasa Consumer’s The Derma Co. Last week, Lakmé’s “SPF Lie Detector Test” ad, which claimed an “online bestseller” sunscreen misrepresented its SPF 50 as delivering only SPF 20, was called out by Honasa for allegedly disparaging The Derma Co’s 1% Hyaluronic Sunscreen Aqua Gel. 

The Delhi High Court intervened, and HUL agreed to modify the ad by replacing “online bestseller” with “some sellers” and changing the depicted product’s colour from orange to light yellow, with changes implemented within 48 hours. Honasa, in turn, agreed to remove its retaliatory social media posts.