A Dive Into Surrogate Advertisements of Pan Masala (Tobacco) and their Celebrity Endorsements: Marketing Bites
I recently came across a pan masala advertisement endorsed by actor Amitabh Bachchan that piqued my interest. When asked by a Facebook user to the actor, the reason to endorse such a brand? He replied, “If a business is doing someone some good, we shouldn’t ask ourselves why we’re associated with it. Yes, I get paid for this, but it employees so many people.” Later, Amitabh Bachchan terminated the contract when he realized it was a surrogate advertisement for a tobacco-based product.
It is worthy to note that this is not the only case but, many actors endorse it and continue to do so for many years.
A famous example is of actor Ajay Devgn’s Vimal advertisement, with the addition of Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) in it, surprised the audience. The advertisement shows Ajay Devgn chasing Shah Rukh Khan with red letters flying in the air, but the change is when we see SRK in the end. Even if you have not been up-to-date with this industry, I am sure this tagline “bolo zubaan kesari” might ring a bell. Also, mentioning the memes that crop up now and then indirectly helps in brand recall. Although many can’t find the words in their zubaan (mouth), I should mention that this too is a surrogate advertisement!
Another famous pan masala advertisement went a unique way by roping in actor Pierce Brosnan (Ex-James Bond). It became a talk of the town not only in India but abroad too. From being the dashing James bond, endorsing global brands like Omega and Visa to choosing to endorse a pan masala was something very cringe-worthy. No joke!
Tiger Shroff, a dynamic young actor, and a fitness freak has been promoting Pan Bahar. Many even questioned him on being an advocate for fitness but on the other side is seen promoting pan masala (tobacco). Thus, it shows how celebs are ready to do something without understanding what the brand is all about or probably just for the pay.
Not only male actors endorse this, but also actresses have been associated with it. Similarly, we see Anushka Sharma (replaced Priyank Chopra) endorsing Rajnigandha pearls wherein she plays a showstopper at a fashion show portraying a dazzling smile and she prevents a fellow model from a wardrobe malfunction.
To name a few more, Akshay Kumar for Baba Elaichi, Salman Khan for Rajshree Elaichi, and Saif Ali Khan for Pan Bahar Pan Masala advertisement. Also, I would again like to mention that all these advertisements were surrogate. Surrogate advertisements promote regulated products like cigarettes, tobacco, and alcohol, in disguise as another product. The advertisements we saw above were surrogate ads for Gutka or pan masala (contains tobacco) which raises the risk of cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat, and pancreas.
Although there are laws for this, we still see brands going ahead with such advertisements, sponsorship, etc. Similarly, we see Kamla Pasand Pan Masala brand is currently the title sponsor of one of the biggest reality shows; Vimal Pan Masala is the streaming partner of IPL (Indian Premier League). Through IPL, advertisers reach crores of viewers across India.
So, what is the reason for celebrities to endorse pan masala?
The domestic pan masala and gutka industry is pegged at around Rs 45,500 crore growing annually at around 9%, according to IMARC. Pan masala with tobacco currently represents the most popular type with the largest market share followed by plain pan masala and flavored pan masala.
With such a huge industry, celebrities earn crores of rupees every year by promoting hazardous/cancerous food products like Pan Masala, whether direct or surrogate.
Mr. Saurabh Uboweja, Chief brand strategist and CEO of brands of desire said, “Campaigns with celebrities are built with a premium appeal, but the real target market is the mass market. Brands follow master brand architecture to appeal to the masses in the disguise of premium products.”
Although there are laws in place for such categories by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). The brands have found ways to evade it through surrogate advertising. Not only do we see tobacco (pan masala) selling elaichi as a surrogate ad, but we also see alcohol showing soda water or music CDs in their advertisements.
Another question that would arise is, Does it affect the brand image of the actors/actresses endorsing such brands?
I think it does affect their brand image. As being associated with something which causes risk, also influencing youngsters and the general public at large who look up to these celebrities and might want to be like them will be influenced to try such products. Yet, wanting to be a part of it even though the pay may be good is not acceptable. While money may be a motivating factor for these celebrities, destroying lives indirectly is something one must think about.
~Thanks for reading!~
