Axe Brand Responded After Its Advertisement Appeared Below Article of RVHS Incident

In the last couple of days, residents around the country have been grappling with the shocking murder of a Secondary 1 student at River Valley High School.

The student was allegedly murdered by a Sec 4 student at the school, though the two didn’t know each other.

While it’s not yet clear how the boy died, the police said they seized an axe as a case exhibit from the scene.

It’s believed that the axe was used in the brutal attack that took place in a bathroom at the school on Monday (19 July).

Some viewers, however, have directed their anger towards a media outlet and the makers of an essential oil, after a certain advertisement was printed in a newspaper.

Netizens Outraged After Axe Brand Advertisement Appeared Below Article of RVHS Incident

As you’d expect, the Monday murder has been all over the front pages, including that of The Straits Times.

Here is their 20 July 2021 issue, which was available both in print and PDF:

As you can see, the bulk of the front page is taken up by an article on our latest COVID-19 outbreak, with another section above it devoted to the murder of the 13-year-old boy.

What angered some netizens was that an advertisement for Axe Brand’s Universal Oil was placed at the bottom of the page, beneath the two articles.

Many Facebook users called the placement of the ad “insensitive”, and called for the ad to be removed.

Axe Brand Responds

Hours later, Axe Brand issued a statement on its Facebook page maintaining that the placement of the ad was not intentional and simply an “unfortunate coincidence”.

“The advertisement was arranged and booked in December 2020 with Straits Times,” the company said.

“Our company is in deep sympathy and grief with the victim’s family.”

Here’s some context: usually, advertisements like those are planned way in advance, since a lot of work and planning are needed; for example, most of the branded contents we’re working on now for our clients are for publication or upload later this year, and definitely not in the immediate future.

Attacker Charged With Murder

Yesterday (20 July), a day after the murder, the 16-year-old involved in the attack was charged in court with murdering the Sec 1 student.

He will be remanded at Changi Medical Centre for psychiatric observation.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the young offender purchased the weapon online.

According to TODAYonline, he was previously a patient at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and had attempted suicide in 2019.

Since he’s under 18, the teen cannot be sentenced to death. He can, however, be given life imprisonment if found guilty of murder.

The 16-year-old is expected to return to court on 10 Aug.

Read Also:

• Law & Home Affairs Minister: Axe in RVHS Might Have Been Bought Online
• RVHS 16YO Student Charged with Murder & to be Remanded for Psychiatric Assessment; Reportedly Was a Patient from IMH

Featured Image: Screenshot from ST