Vimal Oil & Foods Limited - VIMAL EDIBLE OIL RANGE

Recommendation: Upheld | Medium: Suo Motu - NAMS (TAMS)

In the absence of a written response along with documents for substantiation on or before the prescribed due date, the ASCI Secretariat considered this complaint exparte. Claims, “Vimal Healthy Oils”, and “Swasth Rahiye” (showing depiction of fried foods being served), were not substantiated with clinical evidence of product efficacy or any clinical test reports/ third party reports for product efficacy to prove that the advertiser's edible oil is healthy and food cooked in their oil will make a person healthy (swasth). The claims are misleading by exaggeration and are likely to lead to widespread disappointment in the minds of consumers. For the objection raised against the use of the Celebrity (Kiara Advani) in the advertisement, the advertiser did not provide any evidence to show that the celebrity had done due diligence prior to endorsement, to ensure that all descriptions, claims and comparisons made in the advertisement are capable of substantiation. This advertisement is in contravention of Chapter I, 1.1, 1.4 and 1.5 of the ASCI Code, and Clauses (c), (d) of the ASCI Guidelines for Celebrities in Advertising. This complaint was UPHELD by Secretariat.