How it Works
WPP, Havas, Omnicom: Are advertising’s biggest holdcos recasting agencies as AI Operating Systems?
BMTC buses carry ads allegedly promoting Gutkha, Elaichi
The ads have reignited public debate in Bengaluru over surrogate advertising of gutkha and chewing tobacco. BMTC officials, however, maintain that the corporation does not permit chewing tobacco promotion.
SJ Chander, convener of the Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka, expressed concern, stating that after the ban on gutkha advertisements, companies were “making a mockery of the law.”
Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses have been wrapped in advertisements that indirectly promote gutkha and chewing tobacco, marketed as “Elaichi,” according to a report by The New Indian Express.
SJ Chander, convener of the Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka, expressed concern, stating that after the ban on gutkha advertisements, companies were “making a mockery of the law.”
The ads have reignited public debate in Bengaluru over surrogate advertising of gutkha and chewing tobacco. BMTC officials, however, maintain that the corporation does not permit chewing tobacco promotion.
Chander argued that advertising products like “kesar” is a psychological ploy: consumers see the ad and end up purchasing gutkha, not kesar.
Experts cited in the report highlighted the human cost, particularly among daily-wage workers and laborers. YG Muralidharan, founder of the Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust and public health activist, noted that oral cancer leads to painful deaths and raised concerns about public spitting and associated health risks.
Read More: E‑Commerce firms accused of selling pan masala and gutka in Maharashtra, despite state-wide ban
A 2023 letter from the health department to KSRYC and BMTC instructed that advertisements for tobacco and pan masala products, including brands such as Vimal, Cool Lip, and RMD, should not appear on buses. Direct or indirect advertising of tobacco products violates Section 5 of the COTPA and Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), added the report.
SPOTLIGHT
From purpose-driven work and narrative-rich brand films to AI-enabled ideas and creator-led collaborations, the awards reflect the full spectrum of modern creativity.
Read MoreDiageo India CEO Praveen Someshwar joins Grand Jury of Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity
Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director and CEO of Diageo India, joins the Grand Jury of the Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity, highlighting the awards’ focus on work that blends cultural relevance with strategic and commercial impact.