India's Independence Day 2022: Painting a different picture?

August 15 2022 marked the 75th anniversary of India's independence from the rule of the British Raj. What do you think of this ad, which highlights the common habit of spitting in public places? Spittle from paan - a popular chewing paste made from betel leaves - is particularly hard to shift, with even high-pressure cleaning only removing 90% of the dried stain. One London council with a high number of Indian residents launched a campaign in 2010 titled ‘It’s Nasty Man: Don’t Spit Paan’ to curb a habit which was reportedly costing it £20,000 a year in cleaning costs. This campaign to celebrate India's Independence Day 2022 is from JSW Paints. It met with a lively and mixed reception: some think the neatly-made point and emotional undertone is brilliant; others prefer not to see the practice of public spitting highlighted or politicised; and there is also controversy around its provenance as a group of young creators claimed it ripped off their entry for India's National Film Development Corporation short film competition a few years previously. Your response?

Keywords: JSW Paints Think Beautiful, ‘Jab Soch Sundar Hogi Tabhi To Desh Sundar Hoga’, spitting in public, paan spittle, controversial ads, TBWA India