ASCI has launched the Endorser Due Diligence service. The service will offer ASCI’s expertise in advertising assessment, including technical claims that are part of the advertisement. It has established a panel of experts from over 20 disciplines.
The advertisements can be sent to ASCI at any stage, including pre-production. This ensures that the endorser can do their independent due diligence before the advertisement is produced. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides for the imposition of fines or even prohibiting the endorser of a false or misleading advertisement from making an endorsement of any product or service for a period. According to Duff & Phelps’ ‘Celebrity Brand Valuation Report’, around 50% of endorsements in India feature celebrities compared to around 20% in the United States. The TAM AdEx report on celebrity endorsement says that overall, more than 25% of advertisements telecast on TV in 2021 were endorsed by celebrities, of these more than 85% were endorsed by film stars.
The Chairman of ASCI Subhash Kamath said, “ASCI has always required celebrities to be mindful of what they endorse in advertisements, and now the law too, requires them to do due diligence in this regard.”
