Inde Wild Private Limited - INDE WILD PRIVATE LIMITED

Recommendation: Not Upheld | Medium: Suo Motu - NAMS (TAMS)

The ASCI had approached the brand owner - advertiser (Indie Wild Private Limited) and the influencer (Apeksha Patel) for their respective responses in addressing the objections raised in the complaint. The advertiser and the influencer were also offered an opportunity for a telecon with the ASCI Secretariat, which they did not avail, and the advertiser submitted their response. The advertiser stated that the influencer is not associated with the brand, was not engaged as an influencer, and did not receive any compensation or free products. She purchased the products featured in the post independently, and the advertiser provided screenshots of purchase details to support this. The advertiser further provided a declaration confirming that there is no association or commercial arrangement with the influencer in relation to the advertisement. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the Instagram advertisement (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRefiMjk0F_/), considered the complaint, and the advertiser’s response. The CCC noted that there was no response from the influencer. The CCC observed that the advertisement shows an influencer promoting the advertiser’s product - `Indie Wild - Black Friday Sale’. The advertiser has no connection with the influencer and does not endorse the comments made in the Instagram post. The advertiser submitted a declaration confirming the absence of any material relationship with the influencer. The feedback in the post reflects the influencer’s personal experience with the product, indicating that the content was voluntarily shared. Based on these observations, the CCC concluded that the advertisement is not in contravention of ASCI Guidelines for Influencer Advertising in Digital Media. This complaint was NOT UPHELD.