Govt Warns Broadcasters, Advertisers Against Misleading & Surrogate Ads

New Delhi: The Central government on Wednesday issued a strong warning to associations of advertisers and broadcasters.

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution directed advertisers and broadcasters to ensure strict compliance of guidelines to prevent misleading advertisements and endorsements, especially 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 ministry said in a statement.

Citing examples of surrogate advertising, the ministry mentioned that alcoholic spirits and beverages brands are being advertised in the form of music CDs, club soda and packaged drinking water. Chewing tobacco and gutkha are being promoted with advertisements for fennel and cardamom.

The ministry noted that some of the top celebrities are endorsing these products, which “accentuates the negative impact on the impressionable youth amongst others.”

“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.

Referring to a Delhi High Court judgement against TV Today Network, the government directed the channel to run a 10-second apology every hour between 8 am and 8 pm for violating the Advertisement Code.