Update — 12:20 p.m.: Ad agency Ogilvy & Mather has issued an apology to Malala Yousafzai and her family:
A statement on their website expressed that they regret issuing the print ad:
The recent Kurl-On ads from our India office are contrary to the beliefs and professional standards of Ogilvy & Mather and our clients.
We deeply regret this incident and want to personally apologize to Malala Yousafzai and her family. We are investigating how our standards were compromised in this case and will take whatever corrective action is necessary. In addition, we have launched a thorough review of our approval and oversight processes across our global network to help ensure that our standards are never compromised again.
Earlier this week, Indian mattress brand Kurl-On launched a print campaign, designed by ad agency Ogilvy & Mather. This was one of the ads featured:
Many Twitter users are of the opinion that exploiting such a recent and horrendous tragedy to push a product is in poor taste:
The ads were designed by Lamano Estudio, a Chilean illustration firm. A spokesperson for the firm agreed that the ad might be too violent:
"We are worried that it's the only thing that sticks with you after seeing the ad," Patricio Vergara Calderón, head of strategic planning at Lamano, told Huffington Post. "The Kurl-on ad tries to do the complete opposite, it's about triumphing over violence."
"The scene portrays a real event, an example of heroism that is very powerful, especially in Eastern countries, which is what they told us they wanted when we started the graphic."