GUIDELINES FOR CELEBRITIES IN ADVERTISING, ACCORDING TO THE ADVERTISING STANDARDS COUNCIL OF INDIA

The ASCI’s Chapter I on ‘Truthful and Honest Representation,’ clause 1.4, states: “Advertisement shall neither distort facts nor mislead the consumer by means of implications and omissions. Advertisements shall not contain statements or visual presentation which directly or by implication or by omission or by ambiguity or by exaggeration are likely to mislead the consumer about the product advertised or the advertiser or about any other product or advertiser”. Therefore a “paid by advertiser” blog or statement by a celebrity or anyone, promoting a product or service, which is not clearly identified as an advertisement to the consumer will violate this clause of the ASCI code as that will be misleading the consumer by omission about the advertiser. In the past, the Consumer Complaints Redressal Council has upheld complaints against advertorials, which are not identified as such, under this clause. And therefore all paid communication by celebrities or anyone promoting a product or service must be identified as ads, otherwise they would violate the ASCI code.

“Celebrities and celebrity managers should take cognisance of the ASCI’s Guidelines for Celebrities in Advertising - which requires them to have adequate knowledge of the ASCI code, particularly, Chapter I.4 quoted above,” says Shweta Purandare, sectary general, the Advertising Standards Council of India.