Humour helps brands ramp up digital miles but can also backfire: Experts

Apart from Star India and Chaayos, even Fogg has come for criticism for what has been called an inane attempt to be funny

In the run up to the much awaited India-Pakistan World Cup encounter last month, Star India ran an ad that had an Indian fan cheekily hinting at his status as the father of the competing nations, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The ad notched up 1.7 million views on YouTube overnight, besides leading the online chatter for several days. However, while some loved it, others called it jingoistic and crass. 

A week ago, the popular tea chain Chaayos found itself in a similar storm of outrage and rebuke. Its campaign #MentalAboutChai drew flak, both for the hashtag seen as insensitive to mental