Saurav Ganguly and Ajay Jadeja will have to go back to tossing cricket balls. The Kingfisher mineral water bottle they tossed around to a reggae beat in a surrogate advertisement for Kingfisher beer will have to be canned soon. Nothing wrong with the quality. Just that a spate of morally and politically correct clauses aims at diminishing the impact of liquor advertisements will be in force by October.Dorab Sopariwala Chairman, ASCIThe Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) amended its codes in March this year to check cigarette advertising, and soon afterwards a panel of television channel nominees, headed by Kiran Karnik, CEO, Discovery Channel, devised a code to regulate liquor ads.Since these codes are self-regulatory, they have been largely welcomed but a few stray remarks have pointed to an undercurrent of discontent. "I wish to ask the ASCI if it genuinely believes that the incidence of smoking will reduce with these guidelines?" wrote Suhel Seth, CEO of Equus, in The Telegraph. "Gone are the days when people would accept rulings from some moral guardians. Companies today are themselves the best examples of restraint." Dorab Sopariwala, chairman, ASCI, who has put up a spirited defence of the rules, says the organisation is only interested in ensuring responsible advertising.Kiran Karnik CEO, Discovery ChannelThe stringent liquor advertising codes are primarily aimed at killing surrogate advertising which, like the Ganguly-Jadeja pitch for mineral water, was making a mockery of existing codes. "The self-regulatory code seeks to pre-empt a ban of any kind since bans in general are distasteful in a democratic society. It is likely that the Government was considering such a blanket ban following the spate of 'sexually offensive' liquor advertisements aired during the recent Pepsi Cup," says Karnik.The Karnik code leaves very little option for liquor advertisers apart from trying to sponsor late-night programmes and going for event sponsoring in a big way. This could mean that a chunk of the Rs 150 crore that went into liquor advertising and the Rs 248 crore spent on tobacco advertising last year would get diverted. Liquor and tobacco majors, however, don't seem too concerned. Sanjeev Vohra, director (marketing), Seagrams, says the company has its own codes and never did surrogate advertising. But ITC may have problems advertising its trademark extensions like the Wills Holidays or Classic Golf Tours which could get classified under surrogate advertising. The company welcomes the code and has its own self-regulatory laws. It claims there is no correlation between advertising brands and the increasing incidence of tobacco consumption in India. NO IFS & BUTTSRIGHT SPIRIT Ensure minors aren't induced to smoke.Smoking not to be linked with lifestyle.Avoid surrogate ads.No incentives to increase tobacco sales.No liquor ads between 6a.m. and 9 p.m.Those shown drinking liquor shall be over 21.No surrogate ads.Liquor not to be linked with social esteem.Satellite channels may have to move some of their popular programmes to the post 9 p.m. slot when liquor ads are allowed. .preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}The Rs 5 crore plus that Star TV raked in last year from liquor ads forms only 4 per cent of its ad revenue and the channel feels not much of its revenue will go up in smoke. While the search for loopholes in these two codes start overall, close to 50 per cent of TV advertising comes from liquor it is evident that the already cash-strapped television channels will have to mount a spirited attempt to look at other ways of attracting programme sponsors. The irony is that while clinking glasses and party scenes will disappear, iron-pumping models unzipping to show off their colourful underwear will continue to appear. Another code for underclothes ads? Published By: AtMigration Published On: Aug 10, 1998--- ENDS ---
