Papa John’s Pulls Yoga-Themed Pizza Ad Deemed ‘Offensive’ To Hindus
Image via DutchMen / Shutterstock.com
Pizza company Papa John’s has agreed to withdraw a new ad after Hindus all over the world expressed their anger over it.
The ‘Papadia Yoga’ commercial showed a close-up of a pizza with beef toppings, being folded in half to form the Papadia sandwich.
A voiceover stated, “I bet you’ve never seen a sandwich do yoga before!” before humming the syllable, “Om.” The ad closed with the words, “Introducing the new Papadia for just six bucks.”
The ad peeved Hindus around the world, including the Hindu statesman, Rajan Zed, who has stepped forward to point out the problems with the commercial.
According to Zed, the ad “trivialized” yoga and mocked religious concepts such as the “Om” syllable. Zed also called attention to the fact that the ad featured a pizza that was laced with beef, making it more insensitive as Hindus consider the cow to be holy.
“Pizza delivery companies should not be in the business of mocking serious religious concepts,” Zed said.
Papa John’s swiftly responded to the criticism, explaining the company is in the midst of taking down the commercial.
“In everything we do, we’re guided by our values and our purpose that we love pizza and it brings us all together,” a spokesperson for Papa John’s explained in a statement via B&T. “We strive to demonstrate these values each day to create a people-first culture where truly everyone belongs.”
The representative said the removal of the campaign will take full effect in the coming week.
[via B&T, opening image via DutchMen / Shutterstock.com]
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