'Railway Tracks Not For Jogging': Officer Slams Puma Ad Featuring Milind Soman

An Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) officer has criticised sportswear manufacturer Puma for their latest advertisement featuring model actor Milind Soman. Ananth Rupanagudi, the officer, expressed disagreement over the ad film showing Milind Soman jogging on a railway track. He referred to the usage of railway tracks for jogging as trespassing and dangerous, calling the makers irresponsible for shooting the advertisement there.

The officer urged the brand to put a disclaimer on the advertisement, as it can mislead people. In his post on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), the officer re-shared the video and wrote, “I have a problem with this ad, @PUMA. Railway tracks aren’t meant for jogging, and it’s treated as trespassing. @milindrunning, you should have verified this before shooting this ad. @PUMA, please put a disclaimer on this ad. #IndianRailways #Advertising @RailMinIndia @RPF_INDIA”.

In the comments, Ananth Rupanagudi also highlighted that the railway track used in the advertisement was located in Borivali National Park. He mentioned that running on the wrong track is always fundamentally wrong, and the message that the ad gives is not correct.

After the video was uploaded, it ignited debate among the users, as many others supported the officer’s argument. Many of them went to the comment section to express their opinion on the issue. One of the users wrote, “If this is trespassing, then what do you call any number of unreserved/ticketless passengers getting into reserved coaches in IR? First, solve that and then come and correct this.” Another user commented, “Indeed, it’s trespassing and a hazard.”

Neither the brand nor the actor has reacted to criticism so far. The ad has brought into focus the issue of public safety and the ethics of the advertisement industry. Tell us what you think about the ad in the comments.