Ghadi detergent’s latest campaign just got scrubbed down in court. The Delhi High Court has ordered RSPL Limited—the company behind the Ghadi brand—to strip its advertisements of certain phrases deemed disparaging toward rival Surf Excel. The judgment comes after Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), maker of Surf Excel, approached the court claiming that Ghadi’s recent commercials crossed the line from competition to character assassination.
Justice Prathiba M Singh delivered a crisp directive: alter the ads by June 24 or pull the plug. The commercials, fronted by actor Ravi Kishan and aired across TV and digital platforms since early June 2025, feature four different scenes with catchphrases that—according to the court—take direct aim at Surf Excel’s identity and legacy.
Three phrases must go:
- “Aapka kare badi badi baatein par dho nahi paate” (Your product makes tall claims but can’t wash).
- “Iske jhaag acche hai, daam acche hai” (Its foam is good, price is good), which the court found eerily similar to HUL’s long-standing “Daag Achhe Hain” branding.
- “Na Na, yeh dhoka hai” (No, no, this is a fraud).
HUL’s legal team argued that these weren’t just harmless marketing jabs—they were a deliberate dig at their brand, right down to the color scheme. Ghadi’s use of blue packaging and the term ‘XL Blue’, they claimed, mimicked Surf Excel’s visual identity and echoed its campaign slogans. The company emphasized its ₹11,000 crore turnover and brand legacy dating back to 1996.
RSPL, however, countered that blue isn’t exclusive property and that many detergents flirt with the same palette. They pointed to disclaimers in HUL’s trademark registration and denied any intent to impersonate or insult.
Justice Singh was clear: a company may sing its own praises all it wants—but humming a tune that trashes the competition is where the music stops.
The bench reiterated a key principle in advertising law: comparative ads are fine, even puffery has its place. But maligning a rival’s product? That’s a no-go.
The next hearing is set for July 16. Until then, Ghadi must rinse its campaign of the offending language before broadcasting it again.
The courtroom clash was helmed by heavyweight counsels—HUL’s team included Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, while RSPL was represented by Senior Advocate Chander M Lall. The legal detergent war has only just begun, but for now, the message from the High Court is loud and clear: wash your words.
