Remembering the Surf Excel Holi Ad Fiasco and Microsoft Excel's Unintended Role
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Surf Excel Holi Ad Sparks Mass Confusion, Microsoft Excel Hit by Misdirected Backlash
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Storyboard•28-02-2026, 10:45
Surf Excel Holi Ad Sparks Mass Confusion, Microsoft Excel Hit by Misdirected Backlash
•In 2019, a Surf Excel Holi ad by Hindustan Unilever Limited, promoting its “Daag acche hain” message, featured a Hindu girl escorting a Muslim friend to a mosque.
•The ad garnered both praise and criticism, with hashtags like #BoycottSurfExcel trending, accusing it of promoting “anti-Hindu” sentiments.
•Anger mistakenly spilled over to Microsoft Excel on the Google Play Store, with users leaving 1-star reviews calling it “anti-national” and demanding the ad's removal.
•Other users intervened with 5-star ratings, clarifying that Microsoft Excel had no connection to the detergent or the advertisement.
•This incident mirrors a 2017 mix-up where Snapdeal faced backlash due to confusion with Snapchat over alleged comments by its CEO.
