Centre warns broadcasters, advertisers against misleading ads and endorsements

The Centre on Wednesday directed associations of advertisers and broadcasters to ensure strict compliance with guidelines to prevent misleading advertisements and endorsements, especially the provisions pertaining to surrogate advertisements.

“It has been noticed that these guidelines are not being strictly complied with by the concerned entities and prohibited goods are 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,” the Union consumer affairs, food and public distribution ministry said in a statement.

The ministry pointed out that brands related to alcoholic spirits and beverages are being advertised in the form of music CDs, club soda and packaged drinking water. Chewing tobacco and gutkha are also promoted with advertisements for fennel and cardamom. The ministry also noted the involvement of popular celebrities to endorse these products, which “accentuates the negative impact on the impressionable youth amongst others”.The guidelines are equally applicable to the manufacturer, service provider and traders of such products just as the advertisement associations and agencies, the government said.

“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, by circumventing such prohibition or restriction and portraying it to be an advertisement for other goods or services, the advertising of which is not prohibited or restricted by law,” the statement added.

The ministry further referred to the Delhi high court judgement against TV Today Network and directed the channel to run a 10-second apology every hour between 8 am and 8 pm for violating the Advertisement Code.It also warned the advertisements’ association of “stern action” by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for not complying with guidelines.