There has been a staggering 803 percent jump in complaints against brand advertisements featuring celebs. Yet, nobody—neither brands nor celebs—is playing responsibly. Why?
Harish Bijoor, who runs an eponymous brand consulting firm, underlines why top celebs must stay away from the herd mentality. “Let everybody do it. But if you are a Dhoni and a Kohli, then you must not do it
This is one record that MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli may not be proud to have under their belt. The cricketers occupy the top two slots of the ‘non-compliant celebs’ list compiled by ASCI, the self-regulatory body of the advertising industry. “Celebrities continue to mislead consumers,†screams the annual report, which highlights a shocking data. With 503 advertisements under the scanner, there has been a staggering 803 percent jump in advertisements processed against celebs in FY23. The corresponding number for last year stood at 55. Other celebs on the top 10 infamous chart are Bhuvan Bam, Jim Sarbh, Vishal Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shibani Dandekar, and Sara Ali Khan.
Manisha Kapoor explains how and why Dhoni and Kohli have scored briskly. Tictok Skill Games—the company behind the brand WinZO, which has Dhoni as brand ambassador—doesn’t inform consumers about the financial or habit-formation risk, points out the chief executive officer of ASCI. It’s mandatory for real-money games to run a disclaimer in their ads. ‘This game involves an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly and at your own risk’ is how the disclaimer goes. “There is also no evidence of celebrity due diligence,†adds Kapoor.
The reckless behaviour of the celebs has got brazenly amplified this year. In 97 percent of the ads scanned by ASCI, the celebrities have failed to provide evidence of due diligence as mandated by the Consumer Protection Act. “Brands rope in celebs to make the most of the credibility and the trust that they have among consumers,†she says. While Kohli has over 249 million followers on Instagram, Dhoni has over 42 million on the platform. “Celebs must behave responsibly,†she says, adding that Kohli, who endorses Mobile Premier League, has been ‘non-compliant’.
In January, the government released endorsement guidelines on celebs and social media influencers. “They (celebs) should not endorse any product or service in which due diligence has been done by them or that they have not personally used or experienced,†underlined one of the norms drafted by the department of consumer affairs. Celebrities and influencers, points out the ‘Endorsement know-hows’, are advised always to review and satisfy themselves that the advertiser is in a position to substantiate the claims made in the advertisement.