Alcohol Surrogate Ads Face Tougher Scrutiny Under Govt's New Rules

Alcohol brands using glass tumblers, playing cards and music CDs to implicitly promote their products may need to halt these ‘surrogate’ advertisements unless they can consistently demonstrate that these items have their own independent market.

According to media reports, the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry is drafting new rules to address surrogate advertising.

The draft rules are nearing completion and are expected to be open for public comment within 15 days.

Under the new guidelines, manufacturers will need to regularly submit market reports detailing the availability and sales volumes of the advertised products. Additionally, sales certificates must be made available online for public verification to ensure significant sales of these products.

According to reports, the proposed guidelines will fall under the Consumer Protection Act 2029, specifying what firms are allowed and not allowed to do. An 11-member committee, chaired by Consumer Affairs Joint Secretary Anupam Mishra and including representatives from industry and consumer groups, is responsible for drafting these new rules.