Music concerts, sports events: How top liquor brands drew ire over surrogate ads
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India's apex consumer protection body has pulled up leading foreign and Indian liquor makers over so-called surrogate advertisements, in which liquor brands piggyback non-alcohol products.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued notices to large liquor manufacturers such as Bacardi, known for its popular white rum, French wine maker Pernod Ricard, United Breweries, homegrown Radico Khaitan, and William Grant & Sons, which sells single malt Scotch whisky Glenfiddich, two people aware of the development said. The CCPA, which comes under the ministry of consumer affairs, has written to the liquor makers about their sponsorship of cultural, music and sports events, as well as youth festivals and events in colleges, the people cited above said on the condition of anonymity.
The consumer rights watchdog is also scanning their use of social media to engage consumers through lifestyle content, events, and promotions. The authority, which plays a crucial role in enforcing consumer rights, has ordered these companies to explain why action should not be taken against them for breaching government regulations under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Queries emailed to the consumer affairs ministry as well as the Bermuda-based Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, United Breweries, the Indian arm of Dutch brewer Heineken, Radico Khaitan, and William Grant & Sons remained unanswered till press time. Despite strictures in the past, this practice remains in vogue, upsetting the authorities enough this time around to put them on notice.
The move comes even as the government is firming up the draft guidelines aimed at curbing surrogate advertising. Also read | Cards, glasses & music
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