Advertising has evolved into a powerful source of influence on society and the general populace in the age of cutting-edge technology.
Surrogate Advertising
Surrogate advertising is a type of marketing that imitates the branding of one product to market another under the same brand. An advertisement mimicking one product’s branding to market another under the same brand is known as a surrogate advertisement. Although it is marketed under the well-known brand name of the original product, the surrogate or replacement product may look similar to it or may be completely different from it.
A common example is the marketing of alcoholic beverages under the same brand name as soda drinks or completely unrelated goods like music CDs.
Function
After the Cable Television Networks Act of 1995, read with the Cable Television Rules of 1994, which prohibited direct alcohol, tobacco, and cigarette advertisements, went into effect in the middle of the 1990s, and surrogate advertising started to appear in India. A statutory health warning was previously required to be displayed on all packages and advertisements under the Cigarettes Act 1975. In this era of cutting-edge technology, in particular, advertisements have a powerful impact on consumers’ thoughts. The government took a proactive step by outlawing direct advertisements for alcohol and tobacco to lessen the adverse effects of these products overall and to limit their influence on the public. Thus, the use of Surrogate Advertisements by these alcohol and tobacco companies undermines the very intent of this ban.
The Advertising Standards Council Of India(ASCI)
As a non-profit organization under the Companies Act, ASCI is a voluntary self-regulatory council. It was created as a safeguard against the indiscriminate use of advertising to promote goods deemed dangerous to society, individuals, or society at large to an unacceptable degree or type.
Banning Surrogate Ads
Surrogate advertising is now totally prohibited by the guidelines. Additionally, they want to address the problem of deceptive advertisements and endorsements that are broadcast during children’s programming. Many brands use major celebrities, highlighting their detrimental effects on others, including impressionable youth. The government has also noticed several instances of alcoholic beverage direct advertising on social media platforms.
The ministry is worried about this and has issued a directive to the Indian advertising and broadcasting boards. On February 15, 2021, the Delhi High Court issued a landmark decision titled “TV Today Network Limited versus Union of India,” ordering the petitioner to air a 10-second apology every hour between 8 am and 8 pm on two days for airing a substitute advertisement and breaking the advertising code.
Surrogate advertising is rampant
Water bottles and music festivals often feature brand names and logos as substitute advertising. But some of these goods also exist on their own. Advertisers also want to know if it’s illegal to promote these things and events. Surrogate advertising is a boon as well as a bane.
