“Tumar Naam Ki?”  advertisement cause furore, AMC imposed fine of Rs  4.5 lakh

A mystery advertisement campaign by the Meghalaya-based cement brand Black Tiger Cement owned by Goldstone Cements Limited has stirred controversy across Tripura after peculiar flexes and posters appeared asking “Tumar Naam Ki?” or “ Tumhara Naam Kya Hai?” (What is your name?) at various locations throughout the state including the capital city Agartala.

The campaign caught the attention of local authorities after numerous such posters were spotted at traffic points, major intersections and public spaces across different districts, causing confusion among residents. Meanwhile, the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) has taken serious note of the unauthorized installations.

While speaking with the media persons on this mysterious banner AMC Mayor Dipak Majumder said, "Through our CCTV surveillance at various traffic points in the city, we identified the individual responsible for installing these banners. Upon questioning, he revealed that he was working on behalf of a company.”

"We have issued a fine of Rs 4.5 lakh to the company for illegally installing these promotional materials without proper authorization," he added.

On the other hand, the West Agartala Police also conducted their investigation into the matter. "We found that these promotional materials were installed by Black Tiger Cement Company, a brand owned by Goldstone Cements Limited. We have questioned their Assistant General Manager Santosh Saha, who is based in Kolkata, regarding this unauthorized promotional activity," said Officer-in-Charge Paritosh Das of West Agartala Police Station to NEC reporter.

The AMC has since removed the unauthorized flexes and posters and issued a show-cause notice to the cement company, demanding an explanation for conducting such a promotional campaign without proper permits and potentially misleading the public. This incident has raised questions about the regulation of guerrilla marketing tactics and the need for proper authorization before conducting such widespread promotional activities in public spaces.