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On Thursday, a bench of the Delhi High Court heard a lawsuit filed by Honasa Consumer Limited against Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) regarding an allegedly disparaging sunscreen advertisement. Both parties agreed to settle the matter amicably. HUL agreed to modify the advertisement and remove it from both online platforms and out-of-home (OOH) placements.

As per the agreement reached in court, HUL will revise the ad by changing the product’s color to light yellow, ensuring it no longer resembles Honasa Consumer’s Derma Co. sunscreen. Additionally, the phrase “online bestseller” will be replaced with “some sellers.” The online ad will be taken down in 24 hours, and hoardings will be removed in the following 48 hours.

In response to the Delhi High Court’s ruling, HUL said in a statement: “The Honorable Delhi High Court has allowed us to continue with the campaign with certain modifications. There is no injunction against the Lakmé campaign. In return, Honasa has also agreed to remove their social media posts from all platforms.”

“We respect the outcome and will proceed with our Sun Superiority Campaign with the required modifications. This underscores the critical need to raise awareness around SPF efficacy, transparency, and accountability in the sun care category—keeping consumer interest and safety at the forefront. Lakmé has been conducting SPF efficacy and safety tests for over a decade, following globally accepted scientific protocols.”

“We have always believed in the power of science to drive product innovation and safeguard consumer interests. This campaign is part of Lakmé’s broader commitment to setting a new benchmark for sun protection standards in India.”

HUL further stated: “Unfortunately, some sellers have been falsely advertising SPF 50. Independent testing by accredited labs revealed that these products fall significantly short of their claimed SPF levels, misleading consumers—potentially leading to skin issues such as pigmentation, aging, and spots.”

“At Lakmé, we remain unwavering in our commitment to integrity, consumer safety, and scientific excellence. We aim to be a leading voice advocating for transparency and higher standards in skincare by developing products grounded in rigorous science, research, and innovation.”

The controversy began when Lakmé, an HUL brand, launched a marketing campaign promoting its Lakmé Sun Expert SPF 50 sunscreen. The campaign introduced a dramatized concept called the “SPF Lie Detector Test,” which alleged that some “online bestsellers” significantly overstated their SPF protection. Although the ad did not explicitly name any brands, it featured two unbranded sunscreen bottles that closely resembled Mamaearth’s The Derma Co. and Nykaa’s Dot & Key products.

Lakmé claimed the campaign was grounded in in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for sunscreen efficacy — conducted by an independent accredited lab. The company asserted that while its product met the SPF 50 standard, other tested sunscreens provided protection as low as SPF 20.

“We’ll continue with the campaign, with modifications,” says HUL on Lakmé Ad dispute

On Thursday, a bench of the Delhi High Court heard a lawsuit filed by Honasa Consumer Limited against Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) concerning an allegedly disparaging sunscreen advertisement. Both parties agreed to resolve the matter amicably. HUL consented to modify the ad and remove it from both online platforms and out-of-home (OOH) placements.

Per the agreement reached in court, HUL will alter the advertisement by changing the product's color to light yellow, ensuring it no longer resembles Honasa Consumer’s Derma Co. sunscreen. Additionally, the phrase “online bestseller” will be replaced with “some sellers.”

Attorneys for Honasa also requested that HUL withdraw its case against the brand in the Bombay High Court, to which both parties agreed.

Justice Amit Bansal noted that HUL would take down the online version of the advertisement by 24 hours, and all hoardings by both parties would be removed within 48 hours.

Senior Counsel Amit Sibal, representing Honasa — the parent company of Mamaearth — had urged the court to order immediate removal of the HUL advertisement from all platforms, including print, digital, OOH, and social media.

On April 16, Justice Bansal had remarked that, on its face, the ad appeared to be disparaging. At HUL’s request, the court granted a one-day extension for the company to file a formal response. HUL’s legal team also informed the court that it had filed a similar case against Honasa Consumer.

The court had stated: “The impugned advertisements by the defendants are clearly disparaging and misleading. Issue notice. Notice is accepted by the defendant’s counsel, who requests one day to obtain instructions. The evidence submitted relies on Division Bench judgments.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/brand-battles-get-personal-why-comparative-advertising-is-having-a-moment-62492.htm">Read More: Brand battles get personal: Why comparative advertising is having a moment</a>

The controversy began when Lakmé, an HUL brand, launched a marketing campaign promoting its Lakmé Sun Expert SPF 50 sunscreen. The campaign introduced a dramatized concept called the “SPF Lie Detector Test,” which alleged that some “online bestsellers” significantly overstated their SPF protection. Although the ad did not explicitly name any brands, it featured two unbranded sunscreen bottles that closely resembled Mamaearth’s The Derma Co. and Nykaa’s Dot & Key products.

Lakmé claimed the campaign was grounded in in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for sunscreen efficacy — conducted by an independent accredited lab. The company asserted that while its product met the SPF 50 standard, other tested sunscreens provided protection as low as SPF 20.

Mamaearth responded quickly. Co-founder Ghazal Alagh publicly accused Lakmé and HUL of copying not just Mamaearth’s sunscreen, but other products as well — including its vitamin C face wash and onion shampoo. In a now-deleted social media post, Alagh shared side-by-side comparisons and product launch timelines with the caption “OG vs Copy” to support her claim.

“India’s FMCG sector has lacked strong competition for a long time,” Alagh wrote in another post that remains online. “We take pride in challenging the status quo and consistently pushing legacy brands to do better.”

In an exclusive statement to Storyboard18, HUL defended its sunscreen and campaign, stating that all claims were supported by rigorous testing. “Since 2015, we’ve conducted in vivo SPF testing across our sun care portfolio,” said an HUL spokesperson. The company further alleged that several popular sunscreens have been “falsely claiming SPF 50.”

“In the interest of consumers, independent lab testing has shown that some of these products fall far short of their stated SPF claims,” the spokesperson added. “This misleads consumers and could lead to potential skin issues such as pigmentation, premature aging, and dark spots. Indian consumers deserve sunscreens they can trust.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/delhi-hc-flags-huls-lakme-ad-as-disparaging-in-mamaearth-lawsuit-62443.htm">Read More: Delhi HC flags HUL’s Lakmé Ad as disparaging in Mamaearth lawsuit</a>

Breaking: Honasa and HUL settle sunscreen Ad dispute, Lakmé to modify campaign

On Wednesday, a Delhi High Court bench heard the lawsuit filed by Honasa Consumer Limited against Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) over an allegedly disparaging sunscreen advertisement. After reviewing the submissions, Justice Amit Bansal found the ad to be disparaging and granted HUL one day to file its response.


Senior counsel Amit Sibal, representing Honasa Consumer Limited — the parent company of Mamaearth — urged the court to order the immediate removal of the HUL advertisement across all platforms, including print, out-of-home (OOH), digital, and social media.


Justice Bansal remarked that, on its face, the advertisement appeared to be disparaging. At the request of HUL's counsel, the court granted a one-day extension for the company to submit its reply. HUL’s legal team also informed the court that it has filed a similar lawsuit against Honasa Consumer Limited. The court asked for more details about this counter-case and noted that it would be heard separately.

The court remarked that, "A trader is not entitled to denigrate or defame the goods of his competitors while comparing his goods with that of other traders in comparative advertising. The comparing of one's goods with that of others and establishing the superiority of one's goods over that of others is permissible.

However, while doing so one is not allowed to make a statement that the goods of others are bad, inferior or undesirable as that would amount to defaming or denigrating the goods of others which is actionable. 

Attention of the court has been drawn to a in-vivo testing carried out by the plaintiff of its product, which confirms the fact that plaintiff has an SPF of 50 carried out by a government accredited laboratory. It is stated that the impugned advertisement came up for the first time on 12th April 2025. And has been appearing on print, digital and social media. 

Court further said, "Impugned advertisements of the defendants are clearly disparaging and misleading. Issue notice. Notice is accepted by the counsel on behalf of defendant who seeks one day's accommodation, to take instructions. The evidence is placed reliance on judgment of Division benches."

The dispute began when Lakmé, a brand under HUL, launched a marketing campaign promoting its SPF 50 sunscreen product, Lakmé Sun Expert. The campaign introduced a dramatized concept called the “SPF Lie Detector Test,” which suggested that certain “online bestsellers” significantly overstated their SPF protection. Though the ad did not name specific brands, it featured two unbranded sunscreen bottles that closely resembled products from Mamaearth’s The Derma Co. and Nykaa’s Dot & Key.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sunscreen-showdown-honasas-ghazal-alagh-takes-a-jab-at-hul-owned-lakme-62293.htm">Sunscreen showdown: Honasa's Ghazal Alagh takes a jab at HUL-owned Lakmé</a> 


According to Lakmé, the campaign was based on in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for evaluating sunscreen efficacy — conducted at an independent, accredited laboratory. The company claimed its product met the advertised SPF 50 standard, while others tested offered protection as low as SPF 20.


Mamaearth responded swiftly. Co-founder Ghazal Alagh publicly accused Lakmé and HUL of copying not only Mamaearth’s sunscreen but also other products, including its vitamin C face wash and onion shampoo. In a now-deleted social media post, Alagh shared side-by-side comparisons and product launch timelines under the headline “OG vs Copy” to back her claims.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/skincare-brand-wars-ghazal-alagh-accuses-hul-owned-lakme-of-copying-and-backbiting-62329.htm">Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh backtracks, deletes post accusing HUL-owned Lakmé of 'copying' and 'backbiting'</a> 


“Indian FMCG has lacked strong competition for a long time,” Alagh wrote in another post that remains online. “We take pride in challenging these norms and repeatedly waking up legacy brands.”


In an exclusive statement to Storyboard18, HUL defended its sunscreen product and the associated campaign, asserting that all claims were backed by rigorous testing. “Since 2015, we’ve conducted in vivo SPF testing across our sun care portfolio,” said an HUL spokesperson. The company also alleged that several popular sunscreen brands have been “falsely claiming SPF 50.”


“In the interest of consumers, independent lab testing has revealed that some of these products fall well short of their stated SPF claims,” the spokesperson added. “This misleads consumers and can lead to potential skin concerns like pigmentation, premature aging, and dark spots. Indian consumers deserve sunscreens they can truly trust.”


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/mamaearth-lakme-faceoff-skincare-brand-wars-heat-up-hul-responds-62367.htm">Mamaearth-Lakmé faceoff: Skincare brand wars heat up, HUL responds</a> 

Delhi HC flags HUL’s Lakmé Ad as disparaging in Mamaearth lawsuit

FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) in its annual report declared that they witnessed an increase in consumer complaints related to advertisement in FY24 as compared to last year. In FY2022-23, 10 complaints were received while in FY24, 18 complaints were received. One complaint of FY23 is pending resolution at the end of the year. 

HUL’s annual report states, “We have a very robust mechanism to receive and address queries, feedback and complaints received from our consumers. We have reported above complaints in relation to ‘data privacy’, ‘advertising’, ‘cyber-security’, ‘delivery of essential services’, ‘restrictive trade practices’ and ‘unfair trade practices’

In FY 2020-21 HUL in its annual report, had disclosed that 28 complaints were filed against its ads with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). In FY 2021-22, 14 complaints were filed with ASCI. 

Hindustan Unilever in its results for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2024 stated that the ad and promotions spends increased to hit Rs 1616 crore in Q4. In the corresponding quarter in 2023 the advertising spends stood at Rs 1311 crore. For the year ended March 31, 2024, HUL recorded Rs 6489 crore in advertising and promotions expenses.

Hindustan Unilever Ltd on April 24 reported 6% fall in standalone net profit at Rs 2,406 crore for the fiscal fourth quarter as against Rs 2,552 crore in the year-ago period. The Company’s turnover for the financial year ended 31st March, 2024 was Rs. 59,579 crores as against turnover of Rs. 58,154 crores for the financial year ended 31st March, 2023.


HUL sees rise in consumer complaints against its advertisements

Former HUL marketing executive Shashank Mehta founded The Whole Truth in 2019 to offer healthier alternatives in packaged foods. As a consumer, Mehta, who has been through multiple weight-loss cycles in life, realised the big food brands often tell “convenient half-truths”. To solve that problem he not only launched a company that could fill that need gap but also decided to feature in the brand’s advertising.

Recently, The Whole Truth roped in comedian Rohan Joshi to create a series of videos. In the “educational mini-series”, Joshi plays the role of ‘Healthy Food’ and Mehta plays ‘The Whole Truth’, and they go on to have a conversation that highlights the “hidden chemicals” in packaged foods. In another episode, we see the many ways food is made to look irresistible in ads. For instance, the milk in the cereal bowl is actually glue and the golden honey drizzled on pancakes in ads and in product photos is engine oil.

Mehta tells Storyboard18, when he creates and features in content for his brand, he thinks “consumers can feel the honesty.” They see through paid endorsements like influencer or celebrity-laden ads, which are often forced, Mehta believes.

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<blockquote>Shashank Mehta says, "If a brand is born out of a personal struggle or passion, then the founder can make a powerful difference in the brand’s marketing strategy.” </blockquote>

<strong>Community builders</strong>

Entrepreneurs Sujata and Taniya Biswas quit their corporate jobs to sell sarees. Growing up, the duo loved looking at their grandmother’s and mother’s saree collections. It took them to “a happy place”. The Biswas sisters started the fashion brand Suta with a mission to make a new generation of women fall in love with sarees and wear sarees every day and not just for special occasions.

Initially, Taniya modeled the sarees, taking her photos in natural light with no editing, because they had a tight marketing budget. The photos were cropped in a way that one could only see the model’s body draped in a saree. On Instagram, these headless photos caught people’s attention. Since then the duo has been featuring in the brand’s reels, stills and all other brand communication. They say with this strategy, they have been able to create a community that not just wants to know more about the brand but also about the founders.

The Biswas sisters tell Storyboard18, as creators, their strategy is to keep “content fluid”. They are also often seen promoting other founders and their brands through live sessions, giveaways and fundraisers.

“Consumers often ask how we are okay promoting competitions’ brands. Honestly, especially in the category we operate in, we are like one close knit community. 

<strong>Trust infusers</strong>

Vaibhav Sisinty calls himself “a growth hacker by profession and an entrepreneur from heart.” For two years he had been building his startup Growth School in stealth mode. Earlier this year, Sisinty raised a seed round from Sequoia Capital, Owl Ventures and angel investors. He started when he was 18, and took on several jobs, including working as a marketing manager at Uber.

Through Growth School, Sisinty wants to help learners meet professionals and influencers who have become leaders in their particular industry and help them upskill. From courses on UI, UX, social media marketing, freelance businesses, NFTs, crypto investments, D2C businesses and more, Growth School is going beyond textbook tutoring. Sisinty himself creates content to bring learners together for his masterclasses and mini courses on LinkedIn and Instagram.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Btw this is how we unveiled the big news to the team :P<br><br>PS: All the actors in the video are GrowthSchool employees. <a href="https://t.co/1zDwrZgeQS">pic.twitter.com/1zDwrZgeQS</a></p>&mdash; Vaibhav Sisinty (@VaibhavSisinty) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaibhavSisinty/status/1486669841809297412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He says, “As a founder, it’s natural for me to think about content because people believe in people.”

Though being the brand face of your company is always a good idea, Sisinty, thinks “the brand shouldn’t revolve around the founder.” But, in the beginning, it helps in bringing the right talent on board and building trust which is every brand’s ultimate goal.

For new and small brands, especially in the crowded D2C space, using founders in advertising and marketing communications is a great way to build credibility and trust. It’s also cheaper, of course. For brands that have tight or no ad budgets to speak of, deploying founders as the face and voice of the brand is a sound and economical move.

But sometimes it’s not about creativity, frugality, budgets or brand life-stage.

In December last year, Mahashay Dharampal Gulati passed away at the age of 97. He built a Rs 2,500-crore brand, an empire of spice. Most of India, however, knew him as “MDH uncle”. Because for years the smiling face of Gulati, who always sported a white sherwani, red turban and pearl necklace, appeared in practically every ad for the spice brand. He was the one and only 'Masala King'.