Parag Milk & Milk Products Ltd - Avvatar Whey Protein

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 Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) considered this complaint exparte. Advertisement shows an Influencer promoting a whey protein product. The advertisement does not carry a disclosure label that clearly identifies it as an advertisement. The influencer / owner of the brand (advertiser) have not disclosed details regarding any material connection, monetary or non-monetary between the brand owner and the influencer nor does it indicate whether or not the influencer was paid to post the details of the advertiser’s product. The influencer has not mentioned any disclosure labels such as "Advertisement", "Ad", "Sponsored", "Collaboration", “Partnership”, "Employee", "Free Gift", “Paid Partnership”, “Affiliate”, at the start of the advertisement. The advertisement is misleading by omission and exploits consumers' lack of knowledge. This advertisement is in contravention of Chapter I, Clauses 1.4 and 1.5 of the ASCI Code, and Clause 1, 1.1(a), and 1.3(a) of ASCI Guidelines for Influencer Advertising in Digital Media. Complaint was Upheld