Vimal Elaichi ad row explained: Why Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff got FDA notices?
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
At the centre of the issue is the concept of surrogate advertising, where a brand promotes a legal product or service in a manner that could also reinforce consumer recognition of a restricted or prohibited product carrying the same or a closely associated brand identity.
Adding to this, According to the nine-page show-cause notice accessed by NDTV, the FDA believes that the use of the “VIMAL Elaichi” branding could create an association with Vimal Pan Masala.
Meanwhile, The FDA has directed Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff to discontinue their participation in the campaign and remove related promotional material from their official social media accounts. The actors have also been asked to explain their position.
Notably, Vimal Elaichi is marketed as a mouth freshener containing cardamom and other ingredients. The row does not appear to centre on the legality of consuming elaichi itself. Instead, the FDA's concern is about the Vimal brand identity and whether promoting an associated product can also keep the pan masala brand visible to consumers.
As per the latest buzz, The FDA notice as per reports states that if the use of the Vimal name is intended to “maintain, reinforce or enhance” the brand identity associated with pan masala or tobacco-related products, the communication could potentially be considered surrogate promotion.
In further updates, Surrogate advertising refers to the practice of promoting one product under circumstances where the advertising may also serve to promote a restricted product from the same brand family.
On top of that, The FDA's notice has raised the question of whether the Vimal Elaichi campaign could fall within that broader prohibition if its branding and presentation effectively reinforce the identity of tobacco-linked products.
The FDA has as per reports sought information including copies of the actors' endorsement agreements, campaign briefs, payment arrangements and details of the due diligence undertaken before they participated in the campaign.
Source: Bollywood Hungama