Delhi High Court dismisses Dabur's case against Godrej Sara Lee

The Delhi High Court has dismissed Dabur India's case against Godrej Sara Lee, upholding the latter's right to advertise its Good Knight Naturals mosquito repellent cream.

Dabur India, marketers of Odomos, a mosquito repellent cream, had filed a case against Godrej Sara Lee in the Delhi High Court, seeking a stay against the Good Knight Naturals television commercial.

Dabur claimed that the ad portrayed other mosquito repellent creams as causing rashes and allergy, and not being skin-friendly.

The commercial in question, created by JWT, features actress and brand ambassador, Vidya Balan at a children's birthday party, talking of how applying sticky mosquito repellent creams raises the fear of skin allergies. Balan then speaks of how Good Knight Naturals cream, with its natural ingredients, is safe for the skin. The ad ends with the super of the brand logo and its tagline - 'Khushiyon ke pal barkarar'.

The commercial went on air in the beginning of October. The case has been on since October 20.

Talking to afaqs!, Tarun Arora, vice-president, sales and marketing, Godrej Sara Lee, says, "We are a consumer centric company. We try and understand the consumers' concerns. We were trying to say that Good Knight cream, with its natural ingredients, is safe to use on the skin. We are not interested in portraying anybody in a bad light. The court verdict ratifies our stand."

Good Knight is the flagship brand of Godrej Sara Lee, a joint venture between fast moving consumer goods major, Godrej and Sara Lee Corporation. The company claims that the product is the market leader in the household insecticide category, with a market share in excess of 33 per cent.