Pond’s ‘Sun Portraits’ faces backlash over ethics & impact in rural outreach

Pond’s latest campaign, ‘Sun Portraits’, set in Rajasthan’s Phalodi, has come under fire across social media, with users and influencers questioning its ethics, intent and real-world impact.

The campaign, built around a visual storytelling device, saw artists trained in traditional Phad art paint life-size portraits of local women on the walls of their homes using UV-sensitive paint. As the intense Phalodi sun bore down, the portraits faded, cracked and discoloured over time, mirroring the effects of prolonged sun exposure on skin.

Framed as an awareness initiative around sun protection in a region where temperatures can touch 51°C, the campaign attempted to turn everyday surroundings into a constant reminder of UV damage.

Watch the ad here:

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However, the execution has triggered a wave of criticism.

Users online have questioned the central metaphor itself. “How do you even begin to compare human skin to a painted wall? And after all that noise, what’s the real impact just a few sachets handed out? A campaign designed to win juries, not change lives,” read one comment.

Others flagged the lack of meaningful intervention. “Instead of handing out Rs 10 sachets for a marketing gimmick, why not educate rural women on sun protection and skin cancer with dermatologists and health professionals,” another user noted.

Concerns around consent, compensation and long-term benefit have also surfaced. Several users asked whether the women featured in the campaign were adequately paid and whether any sustained support such as continued access to sunscreen or healthcare awareness was part of the initiative.

The backlash has been amplified by influencers, including skintellectualgirl, who criticised the campaign for being performative and prioritising optics over impact.

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While the criticism may appear sharp, the larger theme is not new.

Brands have found themselves in similar situations before, especially when purpose-driven storytelling appears to outpace on-ground reality. 

A notable example is Britannia Industries’s ‘Nature Shapes Britannia’ OOH campaign, which was initially lauded for its sustainability-led design but later faced allegations of greenwashing. Critics pointed to inconsistencies between the campaign’s messaging and the company’s environmental data, sparking a wider debate on authenticity in ESG narratives.

The recurring pattern highlights a growing discomfort among audiences with campaigns that use communities, culture or causes as creative canvases without demonstrating measurable, lasting impact.

At the heart of the Pond’s backlash lies a fundamental question: where do brands draw the line between storytelling and responsibility?

As consumers become more aware and vocal, the expectation from brands is shifting from symbolic gestures to substantive action. Awareness-led campaigns, particularly those rooted in real communities, are increasingly being evaluated not just for creativity, but for accountability, fairness and tangible outcomes.

The Pond’s case underscores that in today’s landscape, intent alone is not enough. For brands stepping into purpose-driven narratives, the margin for error is shrinking and the scrutiny is only getting sharper.