Sport stars in Kamla Pasand ad: More than a matter of bad taste

Experts weigh in on the optics of sportspersons endorsing addictive substances

e4m by Sandhya Raghavan
Published: May 5, 2023 4:44 PM  | 5 min read
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Cristiano Rolando single-handedly caused a $4 billion drop in Coca-Cola's market value after he removed the cola bottles at a Euro 2020 press conference. Akshay Kumar had to apologise to his fans after his infamous Vimal gutka ad with Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn. Almost a decade ago, superstar Amitabh Bachchan decided against endorsing Pepsi after getting a reality check from a little girl in Jaipur who equated the beverage to "poison." 

Celebs have always been held to higher standards when it comes to product endorsements, given the sway the hold over the population. Yet, every once in a while, there comes a questionable brand endorsement from the famous that throws open the debate of ethics.

The recent one to spark such a debate is Kamala Pasand's IPL ad with cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Virendra Sehwag.

The duo were last seen promoting a pan masala ad for the brand. The ad itself is nothing to write home about. The two engage in a short, forgettable banter over "humara generation and nayi generation ki soch." In the end, they both consume Kamla Pasand's silver-coated elaichi and call it a day.



As expected, the internet wasn't having it. Both Gavaskar and Sehwag have a storied legacy in cricket and represent two generations of the sport. When such hallowed celebs endorse a brand that sells an addictive substance that causes oral cancer, outrage is inevitable.


What experts think

While celebs associating themselves with controversial brands and products is indeed a bad look, the optics are different when the celebrities in question are sportspersons.
Sports stars like cricketers are viewed as role models for good lifestyles and health in society.

"I am surprised that legends like Gavaskar would be keen to feature in an ad for such a product. They are legends, and like they say they are followed by two generations. It’s a pity we have come down to this," said Nitika Parmar, GCD at VMLY&R. "It’s a matter of health and fitness too. You can’t be promoting an unhealthy product while being associated with sports," she says.

Yash Kulshresth, CCO, at ^atom Network, finds the ad "unpleasant and unfortunate just like the product," and reiterates that sports stars have a larger responsibility than other celebs towards their fan base. "People have worshipped these heroes for their skills and stamina. A harmful product disguised as a mouth freshener diminishes the brand’s equity. The sadder part is it drastically reduces our respect for the gentlemen of the game."

In the age of social media scrutiny, can such an ad be a product of oversight? "The negative PR of the brand seems like the only chapter in their strategy. They want people to roar, not react on social media," Kulshresh notes. 

Subhodh Chaubey, Creative Director at Infectious Advertising, enjoyed the light banter between the two cricketers in the ad regarding the generation gap, however, that's about the only thing he liked. "The brand connect is too flimsy. However, I do feel sportspeople promoting such substances is more harmful as people look up.to them as individuals not merely as entertainers."

While what's done is done, what's the best way forward for redemption? An apology à la Akshay Kumar? "I also think it's the call of the ex-cricketers, as they're within their right to feature in this ad. The rest is up to the court of public opinion isn't it?" Chaubey points out.

Kulshresth, however, believes that an apology may never be in the cards, because the brand doesn't care. " Their sole objective is to garner organic PR. Bad or ugly doesn’t matter to them. It is worrying, misleading, and shouldn’t inspire other marketers," he rues.

With inputs from Tanzila Shaikh 

Published On: May 5, 2023 4:44 PM 
Tags Sunil gavaskar virendra sehwag Sehwag Kamla Pasand

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