Giva withdraws Kriti Sanon Raksha Bandhan campaign after online backlash

Indian jewellery brand Giva has pulled its Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring actor Kriti Sanon following criticism on social media over her outfit. The company said it respects Indian culture, traditions and festivals and had no intention of hurting sentiments.

— Source publishedWed, 26 Aug, 2026, 14:01 IST·First seen Wed, 26 Aug, 2026, 17:24 IST·Source ET Brand Equity

What happened

GIVA · Indian jewellery brand Giva withdrew its Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon after online criticism of her outfit, saying it respects

Key facts

  • August 24
  • August 25

Why this matters

For potential partners, Giva’s backlash underscores the importance of brand-safety diligence and clear approval controls for celebrity-led cultural campaigns.

What to watch

  • Whether boycott hashtags, negative review volume or cancellation claims persist beyond 72 hours after the withdrawal.
  • A response from Kriti Sanon, influential entertainment accounts or political/cultural commentators that extends media coverage.
  • Changes in Giva's social follower growth, engagement sentiment, website traffic and Raksha Bandhan conversion rates versus pre-campaign benchmarks.
  • Whether rival jewellery brands launch explicitly tradition-focused Raksha Bandhan or festive messaging.
  • Evidence that Giva revises, delays or removes other celebrity-led assets ahead of Diwali.
  • Mainstream media pickup framing the event as a broader brand-safety or cultural-marketing issue rather than a one-off social backlash.
  • Publish a concise clarification focused on the withdrawal decision without extending the controversy.
  • Replace the pulled asset with product-led Raksha Bandhan gifting content featuring traditional styling and clear festival cues.
  • Run social listening across Hindi and regional-language platforms to identify whether backlash is subsiding or spreading to boycott calls.
  • Require cultural-sensitivity, wardrobe and festival-context review before releasing Diwali, wedding and regional-festival campaigns.
  • Brief retail staff, marketplace partners and customer-care teams with consistent responses and non-defensive talking points.
  • Reallocate remaining campaign budget toward performance media, CRM gifting offers and trusted micro-creators rather than another high-visibility celebrity launch.

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