The booming competition in India’s booming skincare market has poured into the courts.
Honasa Consumer Ltd, parents of brands such as Mamaearth and Derma Co., filed a lawsuit against Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Tuesday, saying the recent Lakme sun protection campaign has undermined the credibility of its products. Hul, in turn, fought back with the opposition, escalating the quarrel into a mature legal battle.
At the heart of the dispute is the new HUL campaign against Lakme’s SPF 50 Sunscreen, which launched the #lakmēspf50truth100 over the weekend. Advertisement asserts that some “online bestseller sunscreens” claiming SPF 50 actually offer lower protection, i.e. SPF 20. While no brand was named, the video compared several yellow bottles to Lakme’s packaging and cited the Vivo SPF In-Vivo SPF test, a clinical approach to assessing solar protection.
Honasa’s Derma Co. Sunscreen also promoted SPF 50 and highlighted his own in vivo tests, and he immediately committed the offense.
On Tuesday, Honasa co-founder Ghazal Alagh responded to a sharp welcome on LinkedIn: “Lakmé, welcome to the SPF 50 club that has been tested in vivo.” Her post also congratulated Lakme on her final sunscreen clinically. “It prevents brands from becoming sleepy, drowsy and brings more innovation to consumers,” she added.
At a hearing held in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, Amit Sibal, a senior advocate representing Honasa, alleged HUL launched an attack on Derma Co.’s reputation, citing similarities in the packaging shown in Lakme AD.
“My packaging is unique. People relate me to it. They are obviously targeting me,” Sibar told the court. He pointed out that the product’s SPF rating (set at 50.169 through Vivo In-Vivo test) is the core of the brand’s positioning.
Judge Amit Bansal, who presided over the case, said the lakme advertisement appeared to be “deprecating” on the surface and directed HUL’s lawyers to transfer the court’s attention to the company. The subpoena has been sent to HUL, asking it to formally respond to Honasa’s request. The matter is expected to be heard again on Thursday.
Meanwhile, HUL filed a lawsuit against Honasa consumers in the Mumbai High Court alleging that Honasa devalued its brand.
Hul did not respond to the sent query Mint. Email queries sent to Honasa consumers have not been answered.
