Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty ad in India draws criticism over cultural insensitivity

Fenty Beauty’s India launch leaned heavily on localisation, partnering with Indian retailers like Tira and Sephora and using local music and cultural cues to appeal to Indian consumers. The brand also tapped into content creators to amplify the launch and build buzz around Rihanna’s beauty empire entering the Indian market.

However, one campaign reel drew criticism for missing cultural context. The 30-second video, set to Arabian music, shows Rihanna entering a taxi where the driver observes her lips through the rear-view mirror as she blows a kiss. While framed as playful, in India the visual raised concerns. The “male gaze” is not merely a cinematic device but a real and persistent issue for women, many of whom already feel unsafe in everyday situations such as taking a cab alone. Against this backdrop, portraying the driver’s gaze as lighthearted risks trivialising harassment concerns.

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Users have slammed the ad for sending the “wrong message” to young girls, calling it tone-deaf and insensitive to women’s everyday realities. One user commented, “This ad is not only poorly made from a cultural perspective, it's also very inappropriate. You should take it down and issue an apology. Also your marketing team needs to be changed. It is extremely tone deaf.”

Another said, “Now harassment is romanticized. Very poor execution.”

Others went further, questioning the brand’s intent. “I was going to purchase this gloss and well now I am having second thoughts because of how you are portraying it. Women don't wear makeup to attract men or in this case a literal cab driver. It’s like you are glorifying our harassment nightmares.”

Another user added: “Please research before releasing an ad. Nothing about this ad is appropriate.” Echoing similar sentiments, one user commented: “Ru kidding me?! This is a nightmare! The ad truly DOES NOT RESONATE with the mass! This ad sends a totally wrong message to the young girls!”

One of them even commented, saying, “My worst nightmare is a cab driver looking at me through the rearview. Why are people encouraging it?”

Fenty Beauty’s stumble is not unique. Global brands have repeatedly struggled to balance global identity with local sensitivities. Indian brands, too, have faced criticism for tone-deaf campaigns.

These cases underline the importance of cultural nuance in marketing. A campaign designed without awareness of local realities can undermine brand trust, regardless of its global success. In markets like India, where conversations around gender, race, and inclusivity are highly charged, brands cannot afford to reduce these lived experiences into casual marketing tropes. When global brands enter India, collaborating with local marketing teams is essential to ensure campaigns reflect cultural realities rather than miss them.