Brand extension not surrogate advertising: I&B

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

New Delhi, April 28: The government is fine-tuning the surrogate advertising guidelines immediately after sending out notices to TV channels last week stating that direct and indirect advertising of tobacco and liquor brands is totally banned. “There’s scope for review in the case of genuine products,” a senior government official told FE on Thursday. One must differentiate between ‘brand extension’ and ‘surrogate ads’, he pointed out.

Last week’s notice to TV channels was clearly a blanket ban on surrogate ads. It pointed out that a liquor or a tobacco brand name cannot be used for advertising any product. In effect, the notice meant that no liquor or tobacco brand name must be used to advertise CDs, cassettes, soda, water, a fashion store or any other product. The notice was sent by the information and broadcasting ministry, citing the programming and advertising code in the Cable TV Act.

However, after some companies, including United Breweries (UB), sought clarification on the I&B ministry’s notice, there are indications that “the ban will not apply to genuine products”. That is, liquor and tobacco players using the brands for other “genuine” businesses would be allowed to carry on with advertisements for such products.