Pan Bahar endorsement row: Brosnan cries foul, industry says not enough
BENGALURU: Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan’s statement to People magazine, an American weekly from Time Inc, that Pan Bahar “grossly manipulated” media outlets to falsely present him as a brand ambassador for their entire line of products has caused a major controversy.
According to the statement, Brosnan has demanded that the company remove his image from all their products as they violated the contract.
Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director of Ogilvy & Mather (India and South Asia) on Friday said he was surprised to know that a high-profile celebrity like Brosnan, who has a team of professionals poring over legal documents, didn’t read the fine print carefully.
“I have worked with the likes of Lionel Messi (Argentine football star), Jackie Chan (actor). They have an entourage of people who go through these contracts.”
Brosnan’s statement went on to clarify that his contract detailed that he was to advertise a “breath freshener/tooth whitener”, which wouldn’t include an ingredient that turns saliva red. Moreover, the statement emphasised that he agreed to advertise a single product only, and that it was presented as “allnatural containing neither tobacco, supari, nor any other harmful ingredient”.
“Having endured, in my own personal life, the loss of my first wife and daughter as well as numerous friends to cancer, I am fully committed to supporting women’s healthcare and research programmes that improve human health and alleviate suffering,” he said.
Pandey further said since Brosnan hadn’t threatened to sue the company, he wasn’t sure how serious he was about the matter.
On the other hand, Ashok and Co Pan Bahar Ltd, which manufactures ethnic Indian pan masala and other tobacco products, is doing its best to put out the fire.
Akhil Jain, chief executive officer, Ashok and Co Pan Bahar, a company which has a turnover of ₹230 crore, said, “There is some confusion. Wait for a few days … we are in touch with Brosnan and his team and hope to sort the matter out as soon as possible.”
Anirban Das Blah, managing director, Kwan Entertainment and Marketing Solutions, said: “I was unconvinced about this association right from the beginning, because it made no sense for the demographic they were addressing. One has to be careful, while picking a celebrity to endorse a brand. You have to go through all the fine print to make sure everyone is on the same page.” WITH MINT INPUTS
I was unconvinced about this association right from the beginning, because it made no sense for the demographic they were addressing. One has to be careful, while picking a celebrity to endorse a brand ANIRBAN DAS BLAH, managing director, Kwan Entertainment