Exploring The Cause & Effect Of Myntra’s Logo Change

The Indian audience is a sensitive one –– it does not take much to spark controversy over something that is not truly controversial.

Leading Indian fashion e-commerce platform, Myntra had to undergo a logo change due to a complaint by Naaz Patel, the founder of an NGO called Avesta Foundation. As reported by The Indian Express, the Mumbai-based activist alleged that the company’s logo is “insulting and offensive towards women.”

She says so because to a keen eye, it appeared as if it outlines a woman with her legs spread apart. Owing to her complaint against them at the Mumbai Police’s cybercrime department back in December 2020, the company rolled out a tweaked logo recently.

There is much potential for criticism of the complaint here.

Firstly, before this complaint was made public, it is likely that most of the Indian population may not have even noticed the resemblance with a supposedly naked woman, which possibly deems the complaint unnecessary.

Secondly, the creation of a brand persona is not done with vulgarity in mind –– which is not to say that anything about a woman’s sexual pleasure is vulgar, to begin with. It requires hours of creative thinking, and to invalidate that should not be acceptable.

Finally, it is not easy to recognise, but the environmental impacts of this change are huge. In case Myntra be required to scrap their packaging, receipts and similar things with the previous logo, not only will they be wasting the resources they used to manufacture them, they will also be shelling out even more of the same to produce new ones –– wastage and unnecessary mass production, all in one.

The extreme sensitivity to take offence to such matters is dangerous. Today, it is the logo of a leading brand, but nothing stops it from translating into more serious matters.

With such complaints, issues that are grave — whether that be women and child trafficking, child pornography, domestic abuse, and so many more — lose the urgency and attention they deserve. Along with the public’s focus, the authorities’ scrutiny toward them shifts, too. Such complaints are also the ones that give way to unnecessary censorship in various art forms in various media – the intolerance is not subtle.

For imagine the change we could bring about, if only we placed similar concerted efforts into fixing what is truly broken.

If you enjoyed reading this, we suggest you also read:

Instances Of Censorship In India That Show How The Political Agenda Has Shifted

Tanishq Faces Backlash Over Its ‘Ekatvam’ Ad: What It Says About The Indian Mindset

‘Love Sonia’ – An Uncomfortable, True Story Of Indian Sex Trafficking