{
  "id": 1427224,
  "title": "Flipkart Faces Backlash Over Obituary-Style Freedom Sale Ad; Shobhaa De Calls It 'Insensitive & Disgusting'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/flipkart-faces-backlash-over-obituary-style-freedom-sale-ad-shobhaa",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-17T05:34:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/tech/flipkart-faces-backlash-over-obituary-style-freedom-sale-ad-shobhaa-de-calls-it-insensitive-disgusting"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Flipkart is facing backlash on social media for an advertisement for its Freedom Sale that used a visual format similar to obituary notices. The advertisement featured photographs and personal details of living individuals placed inside memorial-style boxes, with a caption stating that while the people would continue to live, Flipkart's deals were about to expire. Several social media users questioned whether the images were real or generated using artificial intelligence. The most prominent critic was author and columnist Shobhaa De, who called the ad \"the most self-serving, disgusting and insensitive ad\" and urged consumers to boycott Flipkart. Other reactions ranged from calling for the dismissal of the creative team to questioning the sensitivity of using death as a marketing tactic.",
  "summary": "Flipkart is facing criticism on social media over a print advertisement for its Freedom Sale that used the visual format of obituary notices, featuring photographs and personal details of living individuals placed inside memorial-style boxes. The advertisement carried the line 'We aren't sad at all; above the memorial-style boxes, followed by copy stating that while the people featured would…",
  "key_points": [
    "Flipkart's Freedom Sale ad used obituary-style visual format",
    "Author Shobhaa De called ad insensitive and disgusting",
    "Critics questioned if images were real or AI-generated"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Flipkart's use of obituary-style ads for its Freedom Sale has sparked outrage, with critics calling it insensitive and self-serving, potentially damaging the company's reputation and customer loyalty.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}