In an age where a single tweet can make or break reputations, brands are increasingly walking a tightrope between creativity and controversy. The recent case of Yes Madam, a beauty and wellness service startup, provides a textbook example of how pushing boundaries for virality can lead to unintended consequences. While the brand claims that its controversial email-suggesting employees who admitted to stress were fired-was part of a marketing gimmick to introduce their Happy 2 Heal initiative, the backlash was swift and scathing. This incident raises critical questions: Where do brands draw the line between creative storytelling and manipulation? And in a hyper-competitive digital world, how far is too far ?
