Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff are facing action from Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their appearance in Vimal's cardamom advertisement, with the state regulator saying the campaign could reinforce consumer recognition of a prohibited pan masala product associated with the Vimal brand.
The actors are promoting Vimal cardamom in the advertisement, but the FDA has questioned whether using the Vimal name for the legal product indirectly promotes the brand's pan masala offering.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff face FDA notices over pan masala ads
The notices, made public over the weekend, ask the three actors to explain their involvement within 15 days. The FDA has also directed them to remove the advertisements from their social media accounts, refrain from further participation in their broadcast and provide details of their endorsement agreements with the manufacturer.
Why is a cardamom ad linked to pan masala?
The FDA's concern centres on the association between the Vimal name and pan masala. According to the regulator, the actors' promotion of Vimal cardamom could maintain consumer recognition of the prohibited product through the same brand identity.
"Such use of the brand name and identity may have the effect of promoting, reinforcing or maintaining consumer recognition of the prohibited" product, the state Food and Drug Administration said in the notice.
The notice added, "Upon examination ... (it) appears that the advertisement promotes the VIMAL brand, which is mainly associated with pan masala."
Surrogate advertising refers to the promotion of a restricted or prohibited product through another product carrying the same brand name, logo or identity. In this case, cardamom is the product featured in the advertisement, while the FDA says the Vimal brand is mainly associated with pan masala.
The regulator has asked the actors to provide details of their endorsement agreements and other information relating to their participation in the campaign. It has also sought an explanation on whether Vimal cardamom is an independent product available for sale or whether the advertisement constitutes surrogate or brand-extension communication for Vimal pan masala or tobacco-related products.
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