Staff Reporter
India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has directed advertising agencies to ensure strict compliance with guidelines issued on surrogate advertisements
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has issued strict guidelines for the prevention of misleading advertisement and endorsement, especially in cases related to the surrogate or indirect advertisement.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution has directed advertising agencies to ensure strict compliance with guidelines issued on surrogate advertisements. The Department of Consumer Affairs has also cautioned the Advertisers’ Associations that failure to ensure compliance with the guidelines would lead to stern action against the violators. The guidelines clearly state that no surrogate advertisement or indirect advertisement shall be made for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law.
It had come to the notice of the Department that these guidelines were not being strictly complied with by the concerned entities and the prohibited goods were still being advertised through surrogate goods and services. During the recent Sports events that were televised globally, many instances of such surrogate advertisements were noticed. It has also been observed that many alcoholic spirits and beverages are being advertised under the garb of music CDs, club soda, and packaged drinking water whereas chewing tobacco and gutkha has taken the veil of fennel and cardamom.
Besides, several instances of direct advertisement of alcoholic beverages on social media platforms were also observed by the Department. Pertinently, the guidelines are applicable to a manufacturer, service provider, or trader whose goods, product, or service is the subject of an advertisement or to an advertising agency and endorser whose service is availed for the advertisement of such goods and products.