Ad watchdog ASCI releases guidelines for celebrities
Poet and writer Javed Akhtar recently appeared in a commercial for Dr. Ortho Pain Relief Oil and Capsule which claims to provide 100% relief from joint pain and enhances the quality of life. Under new guidelines for celebrity endorsements released by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) late on Thursday, this ad could be classified as misleading.
From now on, celebrities will be held responsible for the claims made in ads in which they appear. The council puts the onus on the advertiser and the advertising agency to ensure that celebrity brand endorsers are aware of ASCI codes.
Magical charms and pseudoscience based products that are the staples of teleshopping channels will almost certainly fall afoul of ASCI’S guidelines. Some of these products are promoted by has-been Bollywood actors and TV actors.
Most of these ads are in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, which prohibits the promotion of a charm of any kind alleged to possess miraculous powers for or in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease in human beings.
The Act also prohibits the promotion of products that claims to cure baldness and change the skin colour.
“We get 100% compliance from television advertisers but teleshopping campaigns continue to be a huge grey area. Celebrities perhaps out of igno shopping channels which promote self-medication and might also not be authentic,” said Shweta Purandare, secretary general, ASCI.
Agrees Jitender Dabas, chief strategy officer, Mccann Worldgroup India: “Teleshopping ads must stop because they sell all kinds of absurd products and celebrities should not endorse them.”
Still, Dabas says it is unfair to expect a celebrity to know the technical details of a product.
Pan masala (mouth fresheners made from betel leaf, areca nut and sometimes tobacco) ads came in for special attention from the regulator that specifically said in the new guidelines that celebrities should refrain which by law requires a health warning on its packaging or advertisement.
Most pan masala brands are endorsed by popular Bollywood stars including Ajay Devgn (Vimal Pan Masala), Shah Rukh Khan (Pan Vilas),govinda (Paan-e-shahi) and Sunny Leone (Shilajit pan masala). The future of endorsements for such products may now be in jeopardy.
“Even if it’s surrogate advertising celebrities should be cautious about endorsing such products. Besides, they should also be wary about promoting categories such as real estate and financial services where claims can easily change with time. It is better to be safe than sorry ” said