Pan Bahar kicks up a storm on surrogate advertising
A week ago, both the actor as well as the creative got trolled heavily on social media with people pointing out the health risk concerns involved with the product

The latest Pan Bahar commercial featuring actor Pierce Brosnan has been on the line of fire since its launch. After receiving brickbats on social media, it’s now the turn of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to crack the whip.
Reports suggest that the Board has issued an order citing laws that restrict content promoting pan masala, tobacco and alcohol from being showcased on electronic media. We tried reaching out to Pahlaj Nihalani, Chairman of CBFC for a comment on the recent issue, but there was no response till the time of filing the story.
However, according to few brand consultants and broadcasters whom we spoke to, this decision by CBFC is only for ads shown in cinemas and on Doordarshan. For private owned channels, they take into account, advertising watchdog ASCI’s ruling.
Advertising done under the mouth freshener category is allowed on TV: Brand
Commenting on the recent development, Vikash Shukla, Brand Manager at Ashok & Co-Pan Bahar Ltd said, “It is too early to comment on what action we will take against CBFC because no communication has been made to us directly. However, what we are advertising is under the mouth freshener category and it is allowed on TV. Also the manufacturing of pan masala is done keeping in mind the government rules and the food safety regulations and we haven’t violated anything.”
The brand had earlier stated that the furore is the result of lack of awareness about the product Pan Bahar being endorsed by Brosnan. It is a film for a pan masala (Indian mouth freshener) brand which has betel nut, lime, catechu, cardamom seeds, sandal wood oil, and kewara in it and there is no tobacco or nicotine content in this product.We reached out to DDB Mudra, the agency which conceptualised the creative, but no response was elicited from them as well.
ASCI code of law for pan masala ads
Speaking about the recent development of Pan Bahar, Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI said, “We can’t comment on any particular brand as such. Moreover, it is too early to say anything. It has been only a week since the Pan Bahar ad has been released. However, talking about the pan masala category advertisement, there are certain ASCI guidelines which have been introduced. While products like Pan Masala and Supari are not banned for sale or from advertising by law, their ads should not feature personalities from the field of sports, music and cinema for products which, by law, either require a health warning in their advertising or cannot be purchased by minors. Also it is important that the advertisers as well as celebrities are aware of this clause of ASCI code and sensitised to this issue so that they can advertise in a responsible manner.”
In the last one year, there has been a sudden surge in Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Sunny Leone and others endorsing pan masala brands. Most of these brands, which operate under the mouth-freshener category, are actually surrogate forms to promote zarda, tobacco and gutkha and that they subtly endorse their consumption. According to Purandare, currently none of the pan masala ads featuring celebrities are running on TV.
Why did other Pan Masala brands not face similar flak like Pan Bahar?
At the start of this year, the Delhi government had written to Bollywood stars not to endorse pan masala brands as they contain potential cancer causing agents, and requested them to join its Anti-Tobacco Drive. Even in November 2015, Bollywood actors--Shah Rukh Khan, Govinda and Manoj Vajpayee were served notice by the regulator-- Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), for endorsing Pan Masala brands.
Commenting on this, Harish Bijoor, brand-expert & Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc said, “This is a strange development. Pan Bahar hit the big league in advertising eye-balls with Pierce Brosnan and it gets banned. The key point is why did the others not attract similar flak? CBFC standards seem to be different for different brands. Different strokes for different folks!”
N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA (a Comniscient Group company) said, “I have not seen the order, but prima-facie; it looks that the grounds on which Pahlaj Nihalani has commented is quite flimsy. It is not clear at all, why they have banned the ad, is it because it has Brosnan, or is it because it has tobacco? I feel pin-pointing on one particular ad is wrong and is not acceptable, if the product Pan Bahar is injurious then ban the product and not the ad. It is completely a wrong way of approaching it.”
Elaborating on the kind of creative which can lead to a ban, KV Sridhar, who has recently stepped down as Chief Creative Officer from Sapient Nitro pointed, “It totally depends on the content of the commercial on how blatant it is. If they are crossing the line, it will get banned. It actually depends on two factors, legality and morality. On the grounds of morality, no one should advertise, but on the grounds of legality, there are certain loopholes, like you can advertise about supari, saffron or saunf.”
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp