Flipkart is facing social media backlash over a Freedom Sale print ad that used obituary-style boxes featuring photographs and details of living people. Author Shobhaa De called the campaign “disgusting” and urged consumers to boycott Flipkart. The company has not publicly addressed the criticism or clarified whether the featured images were AI-generated.

Flipkart is facing criticism on social media over a print advertisement for its Freedom Sale that used the visual format of obituary notices, featuring photographs and personal details of living individuals placed inside memorial-style boxes.

The advertisement carried the line 'We aren't sad at all; above the memorial-style boxes, followed by copy stating that while the people featured would continue to live, Flipkart's deals were about to disappear as the sale neared its final day. It is unclear whether the individuals featured in the advertisement are real, and several social media users questioned whether the images were generated or assisted by artificial intelligence. Flipkart has not publicly addressed the backlash or clarified which newspaper editions carried the advertisement.

Shobhaa De leads criticism, calls for boycott

Author and columnist Shobhaa De criticised the campaign on X and urged consumers to boycott Flipkart. "The most self-serving, disgusting and insensitive ad! How dare you @Flipkart. Shame on you!! Hope your 'sale' flops and consumers boycott you," she wrote.