New Delhi, March 11 Despite the government's stern warning against surrogate advertisements promoting alcohol, tobacco and related products, liquor company Pernod Ricard India's latest campaign is promoting Ballantine's Soda 'Celebrating Corporate Tribe in India'.
Ballantine's is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Dumbarton, Scotland.
The new advertisement campaign, created by ad agency Ogilvy, lures corporate individuals by celebrating their aspirations.
The Ballantine's Soda campaign "Stay True and excellence will always be your side", supports the new corporate class -- made of creators, innovators, and path breakers.
According to Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer at Pernod Ricard India, "Ballantine's has always embraced an unconventional approach, championing those who dare to Stay True to themselves".
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) asked officials at the Indian Premier League (IPL) to ban all forms of tobacco and alcohol advertisements -- direct and surrogate -- during the upcoming cricket season, slated to begin on March 22.
The ban extends both to stadium premises as well as a live telecast on television.
In a letter to IPL officials, the Ministry stated that "cricket players are role models for the youngsters" and that promoting tobacco or alcohol products by them can have a poor impact on youngsters' minds.
In February 2024, the Department of Consumer Affairs, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said strict action would be taken against surrogate ads.
"Any continued involvement in surrogate advertising will not be condoned," said the then Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh.
"It was underscored that stringent measures will be implemented to address any instances of non-compliance, with the firm commitment to take decisive actions against those found in violation," he added.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), alcohol is a Class I carcinogen -- a substance capable of causing cancer. It is also a key risk factor for other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc – which account for more than 70 per cent of deaths annually in India.
Even as India is seeing a significant surge in these NCDs, ads like these pose a potential danger to public health.
Last year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also advised all endorsers and influencers on social media to refrain from promoting or advertising, including surrogate advertisements, of offshore online betting and gambling platforms.
Similarly, surrogate ads on tobacco -- linked to NCDs, cancer, and tuberculosis -- also raise public health concerns.
A recent study by the ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research showed that about 41 per cent of advertisements shown between the overs during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup were surrogate advertisements of smokeless tobacco.
The study, published in the BMJ, showed that the tobacco industry is flouting regulatory policies via surrogate advertising of smokeless tobacco products. This is of significance since India is a major producer and consumer of smokeless tobacco products with over 200 million adult users.
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