Months after the India’s Got Latent controversy, stand-up artist Samay Raina and social media influencer Apoorva Mukhija came together to address the outrage that unfolded over their jokes. It’s neither a press conference nor an apology video, but a collaboration with skincare brand Deconstruct. But the message is stronger: I am still relevant, people still want to work with me, and here is the proof.
Raina and Mukhija’s ad is an example of how brands and public figures use advertising as a vehicle for ‘PR rehabilitation’. It’s a way to re-enter public spaces without being too much or too less.
In the ad, Raina says that he got an STD after their last meeting. When Mukhija corrects it to “PTSD”, he responds:
“Nahi nahi, mujhe STD hi hua tha—sun transmitted disease. Woh jana pad gaya tha na Assam, Gujarat—skin damage ho gayi thi (No No, I got an STD—sun transmitted disease. Had to travel to Assam and Gujarat, you see—my skin got damaged).”
In the next second, the comedian begins to aggressively promote Deconstruct sunscreen.
“I came here for a podcast,” Mukhija cuts him off in a no-nonsense tone, though it’s clear she’s in on the joke. “Yes, yes, let’s do the podcast,” Raina responds—and carries on with his aggressive promotion anyway.
Throughout the video, props and dialogue hint at the controversy with humour, never directly addressing the issue that caused the backlash in the first place.
In India’s influencer-driven, meme-amplified ecosystem, brand endorsements often double up as soft rebranding campaigns.
“PR rehab is not the art of erasing the past; it’s the craft of reframing it. As one might say, ‘You don’t outrun a storm, you learn to dance in the rain,’” said Neha Bajaj, founder and director at Scroll Mantra, a marketing company.
Calling it a “candid, self-aware exchange” that transformed public scrutiny into shared amusement, Bajaj said that the “smartest PR rehab isn’t denial, it’s disarming honesty wrapped in personality”.
Usually, individuals and brands tiptoe in their public communications to avoid the risk of yet another outrage. But Raina and Mukhija leaned in, creating something messy and unafraid, prompting the audience to laugh with them—not at them.
“It’s essential to own the cracks, wear them like a charm, and the world will remember the comeback, not the stumble. The real win is not playing it safe, but playing it real,” Bajaj said.
Also read: Sydney Sweeney’s ‘great jeans’ ad shows the risks of edgy marketing
The Astronomer playbook
While Raina and Mukhija’s comeback is all things fun, it was tech firm Astronomer that delivered the wittiest response to the controversy in record time by hiring Gwyneth Paltrow as a ‘temporary’ spokesperson.
“It plays from the same book but with a slyer hand,” Bajaj said. “Her video didn’t just amuse, it triggered curiosity, urging people to check it out, and all of them ended up learning what Astronomer actually does.”
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot were caught in an alleged affair at the Coldplay concert in Boston. Singer Chris Martin put the spotlight on them, and their reaction became the hot topic on social media. The incident went viral, eventually leading to both executives stepping down.
For crisis management, Astronomer brought on Paltrow, who is Martin’s ex-wife. It was completely unexpected, which made for a brilliant comeback. Instead of shying away, the brand converted that surge of attention into an opportunity. The message was that it can bounce back from the scandal and focus on its core work.
In a video posted by the company on 25 July, Paltrow addressed the public with humour, saying: “I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300+ employees at Astronomer.”
Many expected the video to be a justification for the controversy. But the actor simply promoted the company’s core services in data workflow automation.
Bajaj calls it a “marketing move disguised as a wink”.
“It is light enough to entertain, sharp enough to shift the narrative,” she said. “In an age where attention is the rarest currency, turning a scandal into a conversation starter isn’t just bold PR; it’s strategic market positioning.”
Brand: Deconstruct
Agency: Fractonomy
Artists: Samay Raina and Apoorva Mukhija
Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)