QUEEN’S ROAD: Since Maggi came under the scanner after tests reportedly discovered high MSG and lead content in it, celebrities are being called to account for the products they endorse.
Brand ambassadors use their appeal to sell products that are not safe, consumer activists say, and that is ethically wrong.
City Express spoke to Bengaluru celebs on the social and legal responsibilities of endorsing a product.
Priyanka Upendra, endorsing Sunrich Refined Sunflower Oil, says she is picky about what she endorses, and goes so far as to say no celebrity would want to promote a product ‘which is not good’.
Recently, a hair oil company approached her. “They sent samples for me to test before I agree. These are the basic steps those with a conscience take,” she says.
But while she tries to find out all she can about the product, she admits, her research stops short of going to the factory to verify details.
“Also, sometimes, you do the ad this year and something goes wrong in the next. If the problem has to do with manufacturing, you are not there all the time,” she says.
As a mother, she prefers cooking at home for her children, rather than picking up ready-to-eat stuff from the stores.
Prakash Raj lauds the increase in general awareness among Indian citizens, be it about ‘voting, education or what we eat’.
And to hold the celebrities who endorse it responsible is one thing, but to nail them is another, he says.
“This witch hunt is unreasonable. You will have to hold the camera person who shot it responsible too. And the person who invented the machinery, the media that put it out, the ad agency... where will you stop?” he said.
In the case of Maggi noodles, what the findings came up with was something the stars had no clue about. “They can’t become food scientists themselves,” he said.
Ganesh who had appeared in a cola and a Reliance product ad, says stars are aware that fans often choose one product over another because of their endorsement.
“As a responsible citizen, I would not endorse cigarettes or alcohol,” he declares. “I endorse a product after I use it.”
He says the contract celebs sign with advertisers doesn’t necessarily make them more liable than others ‘because it’s not as if they own the company’.
“But this incident has sent out a warning to all actors that we should be more careful,” he says.
Gowthaman Ranganathan, a lawyer with the Alternative Law Forum, feels blaming brand ambassadors is a ‘little ridiculous’.
“Every one knows that stars are very fickle-minded — they do a film about water problem, and the next day, they do a cola ad,” he says.
According to him, there’s little chance of the brand ambassadors getting into legal trouble. “If it’s a criminal case, you can book them — under Food Adulteration Act — it has to be abetment, but the link is very remote,” he says.
And in his view, it’s better not to attempt a civil suit in the consumer forum. “If it seems frivolous, the complainant can be booked for malicious intent,” he says.
However, K M Chaitanya, film and ad director, feels actors and celebrities shoulder a larger responsibility.
“The companies pay them so much because the products sell because of the endorsement. So it is only right for stars to know what they are selling and be liable for it. I can’t understand how an actor endorses a fairness product when half the country is dark complexioned,” he says.
He sees the action against actors who promoted Maggi as a positive step. “With endorsement you become the brand’s face,” he says.
This conviction is what stops him from directing ads for fairness products, alcohol and aerated drinks, he says.
Consumer speak
“Maggi is easy food. When my mother was out of town, my dad and I survived on Maggi. The ban is disheartening, but necessary. But I can’t understand why the brand ambassadors are being sued. They were obviously in the dark,” says Anna Johnson, a journalism student.
Nidhi Hanji, a law student, says, “So many people live off Maggi, especially students in hostels and PGs. Moreover, after the ban, I pity the kiosk owners in the Himalayan area who make a living selling Maggi to tourists.”
(With inputs by Sushmitha Mudda)