CA – MAR 16 : TALL TALK
Chew on this!Â
Leading Bollywood celebrity Ajay Devgn endorses Vimal Pan Masala. He claims that it has ‘Daane daane mein Kesar ka dum’. This despite the advertisement being followed by a warning: ‘Chewing pan masala is injurious to health’. This is likely to confuse and mislead gullible viewers. When a youth icon like Ajay Devgn endorses a product it is sure to lure the youth of the country to consume it leading to adverse health consequences. Isn’t this highly irresponsible of Ajay Devgn?
CERS wrote to Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to take action against the celebrity endorsement. ASCI has upheld our complaint against the claim and asked the advertiser to modify or withdraw the advt. However, it was disheartening to see the advt continuing even after this direction. ASCI has reported this to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as well as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Irresponsible endorsement