Admen talk of laws to regulate use of kids

NEW DELHI: Darsheel Safary is the youngest and the first child brand ambassador in Indian advertising. Although children have been featuring regularly in ads in the past, they have almost always played second fiddle. Many western countries have strict laws on marketing to children. There are no laws governing the use of kids in advertising in India. Companies, however, have embraced voluntary marketing guidelines, forced by pressure groups.

Nestle spokesperson said: ���Nestle follows a clear internal code in its consumer communication that reflects its social responsibility. The choice of models in our advertising depends on the storyline and the manner in which the product needs to be communicated to the target audience as long as it does not violate the internal code.��� Other FMCG majors like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and McDonald���s also do not target their products at children below 12 years.

���We are following the current guidelines set by ASCI on advertising to kids. We are a very ethical company in terms of the communication that we do with children. We have never misled children or their parents and our advertising conforms to all international and local laws,��� says GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Healthcare GM Sumeet Saluja.

Despite there being no legislation regarding their use in ads, there haven���t been any child brand ambassadors. O&M India chairman Piyush Pandey says: ���There are hardly any children who are celebrities. So even when sometimes companies like Bournvita use special/gifted children in their ads, they aren���t noticed.���