The Delhi High Court has ordered Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) to pull down a promotional reel for its ‘OmniBlade’ campaign after Philips alleged that the content had misled consumers and disparaged its ‘OneBlade’ product.
As per media reports, Dutch multinational Philips has filed a case against BSC, claiming that the contested reel had promoted OmniBlade as a multifunctional, “cut-free” trimmer priced at half the cost of Philips’ OneBlade, which Philips has argued to be a false comparison. The company has maintained that its OneBlade device has long offered anti-nick protection along with both face and body features, making the price-based claim misleading.
BSC has countered that the reel in question has been user-generated content created during its Razorpreneur Challenge contest and not a formal advertisement. It has argued that the post falls within permissible marketing boundaries.
The Court, presided over by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, has indicated readiness to grant an interim order. In response, BSC has agreed to voluntarily remove the reel from all social media platforms within 36 hours. The Court has also issued a summons in Philips’ suit, giving the defendants 30 days to file their reply.
Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal, appearing for Philips, has stated, “OneBlade has long offered anti-nick protection and both face and body features, making the ‘half-price’ comparison misleading.”
Advocate Shwetasree Majumdar, representing BSC, has argued, “The reel was user-generated content created during a promotional contest, not a formal advertisement. It fell within the limits of permissible marketing.”
