Dutch multinational Philips has hauled Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) to the Delhi High Court, accusing it of running a misleading Instagram reel that disparaged its flagship “OneBlade” trimmer, reported Bar and Bench.
OmniBlade Campaign
The dispute centres around BSC’s “OmniBlade” campaign, promoted under its Razorpreneur Challenge. The contested reel pitched OmniBlade as a “cut-free,” multifunctional device that could trim, shave and style, and crucially, claimed to be available at half the price of Philips’ OneBlade. Philips argued these claims were “false and untrue,” designed to denigrate its patented technology and divert customers.
Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal, appearing for Philips, told the Court that OneBlade has long offered anti-nick protection and both face and body features, making the “half-price” comparison misleading.
Not a formal advertisement
BSC, represented by Advocate Shwetasree Majumdar, countered that the reel was user-generated content created during a promotional contest, not a formal advertisement. She maintained it fell within the limits of permissible marketing.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, however, signalled readiness to grant an interim order. To avoid this, BSC agreed to voluntarily pull down the reel across all social media platforms within 36 hours. The Court also issued a summons in Philips’ suit, giving the defendants 30 days to respond. With men’s grooming projected to grow at double digits, legal battles over comparative advertising are likely to become more frequent as companies fight for consumer mindshare.