Upgrad called out for using Sundar Pichai’s likeness in ad campaign

upGrad's latest ad campaign uses the image of a man resembling Sundar Pichai (Image credit: upGrad_edu/Twitter)

Indian edtech platform Upgrad is being called out for using Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s name and likeness in its latest ad campaign. Upgrad shared an image which shows a man with a striking resemblance to Sundar Pichai standing on a crowded railway platform. “I got a scholarship at Stanford but the travel cost too much so I didn’t go,” reads the quote on the image, which is attributed to one “Sundar P, 45, IT professional.” Notably, the CEO of Google holds a Master’s degree from Stanford University.

The accompanying caption leaves no doubt as to the personality being referred to in Upgrad's ad campaign. “Thankfully, the Sundar we know chose to #SkipExcuses and left his competition miles Pichai,” it read, before the “Pichai” was changed to “peeche [behind].”

Thankfully, the Sundar we know chose to #SkipExcuses and left his competition miles peeche.

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Disclaimer: This post is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real events, real-life individuals/personalities or entities is purely coincidental. Viewer discretion is advised. pic.twitter.com/jE6sHjjgIE

— upGrad (@upGrad_edu) June 6, 2023

Does @sundarpichai know that his name and likeness are being appropriated in an ad campaign by an Indian edtech brand? pic.twitter.com/qGYn4SRFTc

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— Karthik (@beastoftraal) June 5, 2023

So they wanted to do a Surreal cereals but keep it agreeable to Legal? End result- tacky, indeed. https://t.co/g1AdjR1rv9

— BrandGully (@BrandGully) June 5, 2023

pic.twitter.com/qQ36xozrtu

— Vivek S (@VivekSadiram) June 5, 2023

Several Twitter users slammed the ad campaign as “cringe-worthy” while others wondered if it’s legal to use a public figure’s likeness for commercial benefit.

The image was initially shared on several social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram without a disclaimer. However, Upgrad later added a disclaimer: This post is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real events, real-life individuals/personalities or entities is purely coincidental. Viewer discretion is advised.”