Cheil India Private Limited - Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

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

The ASCI had approached the advertiser (Cheil India Private Limited) and the influencer (Jai Arora) 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 in their response stated that the post is not a paid collaboration or endorsement on behalf of the brand. The content has been independently created and shared by the influencer without any material connection. The advertiser further provided a declaration confirming that there is no association with the influencer in relation to the advertisement. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the Instagram advertisement (https://www.instagram.com/p/DVMLSjFgSma/) 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 – `Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’. The CCC noted that 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 opinion indicating that the content was shared voluntarily. 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.