On 24th December, the Times of India readers were amused and shocked as all the images on the print edition’s front page were upside down. The readers shared the photographs of the paper and questioned if it was a mistake or if they were missing something.
It turned out that the inverted images on the paper were part of a Colgate campaign. In a post on X, Times of India clarified and said it was clearly mentioned on the first page that it was an ad. The media house wrote, “Many readers have called or written to us pointing out that pictures have been carried upside down on the front page. This is not an error or technical glitch; it is part of an innovative advertisement, which becomes clear when you turn to the next page. We had also prominently mentioned that it was an advertorial on the top page.”
When checked, TOI mentioned it was an ad on the front page.
The second page contained the Colgate ad with the Hindi tagline “Neend mein ho gaya na ulta-pulta! Neend Bhagao Taazgi Jagao”. It translates to ‘became upside down in sleep, Chase away sleepiness wake up freshness’. It is an advertisement for Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste, which promises freshness.
While the readers were amused by the “mistake”, in reality, it was an “innovative way” to attract attention.