While flipping through TV channels or on the side of a bus, all of us have seen specimens of surrogate advertising that seem to be an inescapable annoyance. When we hear the tagline “Bolo zuban kesari,” we never think of elaichi but a more hazardous material. Apart from “mouth freshener” there are several similarly famous ad campaigns by other brands for products like “CDs” and “soda,” none of them actually advertising the goods they are showcasing. Even though the sale of liquor and tobacco is legal in India, advertising them has been completely banned since 1995. Therefore, the widespread use of surrogate advertising in India has been adopted to bypass the regulations.
Historical Insight into Surrogate Advertising
Despite being commonly used in India today, the origins of surrogate ads can be traced to Britain, where due to protests led by housewives, the promotion of liquor was banned. This led to liquor brands promoting fruit juices under the same name instead. In countries like Canada, where once surrogate advertising was prevalent to sell tobacco, the government has banned all such forms of marketing in the interest of public health. In India when advertising of intoxicants was outlawed, surrogate advertising was introduced as a loophole to the ban. Products that could be considered as a brand extension were introduced and were advertised instead of original products. The idea behind surrogate advertising hinges on brands being able to foster a connection between their two unrelated products in the minds of consumers. This is how products such as Vimal Elaichi, Imperial Blue CDs, and Bagpiper Club Soda came into existence. But in reality, many consumers have reported never seeing some of these extension products in real life. Some extreme cases of surrogates include Kingfisher Airline and Calendar, Royal Challenger IPL Team, and McDowell’s Derby.
Impact on Our Daily Lives
In the context of the Indian market, the goal of surrogate advertising is always to sell a lifestyle rather than a product. Most of these products are considered luxuries, that are linked with social status, rather than necessities. Therefore, by building their insight around a particular culture that their target demographic follows, brands can effectively create hype. The aim is to not only create a strong recall centered around the vibe that attracts their clientele but also sustain it for the future. By creating the link between the surrogate product and the actual product in the minds of consumers, brands can guarantee sales. But this technique also makes it difficult for the newer players in the market to advertise their products. If there is no existing brand recall, there is no way to promote the impermissible goods under the guise of extension products. This makes surrogate advertising a tricky marketing technique for newer liquor and tobacco companies.
Many surrogate ads have permeated into our daily pop culture references. Some surrogate ad campaigns have been very quirky, helping the brands effectively maintain recall for years. The Seagram’s Imperial Blue CDs “Men will be men” campaign still remains iconic. Similarly, McDowell’s whiskey brand’s campaigns revolving around the concept of friendship, advertising their soda is still relevant. However, not all surrogate ads are this innovative and influential. In fact, most are annoying and exaggerated. The Vimal ads are a good example of an average surrogate ad. A huge chunk of surrogate ads are merely celebrity endorsements that bank on the popularity of a personality among gullible audience members. This leads to a lot of backlash, especially when the endorser is known to promote a healthy lifestyle, like Akshay Kumar. Pierce Brosnan was another such celebrity who was continuously ridiculed for starring in a Pan Bahar ad, even after claiming that he was deceived by a false contract.
Regulations Around Surrogate Advertising
The rules around surrogate advertising strictly state that brands can only advertise products that actually exist, with a significant sales turnover at the time of the ad’s release. This means that if a company advertises bottled water, it must be real and available for sale. The product must also comply with GST and FSSAI guidelines and must be audited. But most importantly, the surrogate ad cannot hint towards the banned product. Despite this, it is estimated that the budget for surrogate advertising is over Rs. 800 Crores.
Several conservative countries do not have a ban on the promotion of liquor and tobacco, but surprisingly, India does. After all the government does make a fortune off the tax they collect on the sale of these products. However, the popularity of surrogate ads makes the ban seem like a mere formality to please the common public. From an ethical standpoint, surrogate advertising seems like a form of coercion. But could surrogate advertising be classified as just vague ads instead of false? Some experts argue that these brands are simply improving their brand recall by advertising a non-related extension product, and it is up to the consumers to interpret these ads however they choose. Whereas, another school of thought states that surrogate advertising is easily spottable, deeming them as harmful for promoting the consumption of toxins.
Where Does Surrogate Advertising Stand?
In conclusion, no matter how unethical, the ingenuity behind surrogate ads is the proof of Indian spirit of resilience and finding loopholes to bypass regulations. Nevertheless, enhanced transparency and accountability on brands’ part would be beneficial for the general health of the public. The future of this type of advertising remains uncertain because newer laws are being introduced constantly, making it difficult for advertisers to keep up. To gain a deeper insight into different marketing solutions reach out to us at Rioconn today.
