As the Consumer Affairs Ministry is looking at ways to tackle misleading ads featuring celebrities, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has asked celebrities to do the necessary due diligence of the claims made in these ads.

The advertising watchdog has released a set of guidelines in a bid to protect consumers’ interest and encourage celebrities and advertisers to refrain from endorsing misleading advertisements.

“Celebrity should do due diligence to ensure that all description, claims and comparisons made in the advertisements they appear in or endorse are capable of being objectively ascertained and capable of substantiation and should not mislead or appear deceptive,” it said in a statement.

The guidelines also state that , “testimonials, endorsements or representations of opinions or preference of celebrities must reflect genuine, reasonably current opinion of the individual making such representations, and must be based upon adequate information about or experience with the product or service being advertised,” it added.

Stating that celebrities have a huge responsibility to ensure that the products they endorse are true to the claims made in advertisements, it said that such ads should not violate the ASCI code.

It also elaborated celebrities should not endorse product prohibited by various law such as the Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954.

It also said that they should not endorse a product which by law requires a health warning.

Srinivasan K. Swamy, Chairman, ASCI, said, “Celebrities have a strong influence on consumers and are guided by the choices they make or endorse.

It’s important that both celebrities and advertisers are cognizant of the impact and power of advertising and therefore make responsible claims to promote products or services.”