India: Carlsberg doesn't see dramatic curbs on India liquor ads

Carlsberg doesn't expect any dramatic changes to rules for liquor ads in India, the brewer's CEO said on August 14, after reports the country is set to announce sweeping rules that will bar even so-called surrogate ads, Reuters reported.

India bans direct advertising of liquor, but companies often use surrogate ads that promote their brands more generally.

India's top civil servant for consumer affairs told Reuters this month that new rules were expected to be issued within a month that could bring fines for companies and bans for celebrities involved in misleading ads.

"It is not our impression that anything is given about a potential advertising ban," Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen told Reuters in an interview.

Carlsberg promotes its Tuborg drinking water in India, with an ad showing film stars at a rooftop dance party and the slogan "Tilt Your World", which echoes its Tuborg beer ads elsewhere, emblazoned with the message: "Drink Responsibly".

Aarup-Andersen said anti-alcohol lobby groups in India had recently taken aim at surrogate ads, but that the industry had also been heard in the ongoing consultation process.

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