Company halts healthy oil ad after face of product develops mild heart attack

NAIROBI, KENYA: A food company has suspended advertisements for its healthy cooking oil product after a sports personality featured on the product suffered a mild heart attack.

Bloomberg reported that the decision was reached after sports personality Sourav Ganguly endorsing the product suffered a heart attack.

Ganguly a former India skipper and BCCI president is said to be stable after experiencing ‘’chest discomfort, the heaviness of head, vomiting, and a spell of dizziness’’ while working out at his home gym.

The Week Magazine reported that Ganguly had three blocked coronary arteries and a stent was inserted in one to remove the blockage.

According to Bloomberg, the series of advertisements were created by Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Inc to promote healthy cooking oil (Rice-Bran cooking oil). “We have only taken a temporary break in our TV commercial till we again sit with Sourav and take things forward,” Angshu Mallick, Adani Wilmar’s deputy chief executive officer, said in an email Wednesday, adding that Ganguly will continue being their brand ambassador. “This is a very unfortunate incident and can happen to anyone.”

Several factors inflict heart ailments including diet and hereditary issues, Malik said. An email seeking comments from Ogilvy & Mather’s local unit wasn’t immediately answered.

The Adani group pulled the ad probably to quieten the noise on social media for now, according to Harish Bijoor, a Bengaluru-based independent brand consultant.

Adani Wilmar sells a large range of edible oils extracted from soybeans, sunflowers, mustard, peanuts, and rice bran, as well as Basmati rice and lentils.

Following the success in India, Adani Wilmar has introduced branded Edible oil to Middle-East and is now exporting its products including Lecithin, Castor & Soya value-added products to more than 19 countries in the Middle-East, South East Asia & East Africa including Singapore, Australia & New Zealand.