Masses in China are once again pointing fingers at celebrities who misuse their star power and front ad campaigns that make false or misleading claims about their products.
The debate sparked after Beijing Consumers Association slammed a famous Chinese artist for appearing in a series of misleading ads. The Association has issued a warning letter to celebrities that they need to take responsibility for their actions and approach all advertising work with caution.
Despite the stringent measure, many in China argue that open letter is not a reliable solution because it doesn’t carry the weight of the law. This is the third repetitive letter the Beijing Consumers’ Association has issued, but none of the earlier letters have dissuaded celebrities from appearing in misleading ads.
The Association argues that celebrities should have a legal obligation to steer clear of false promotions, just like advertisers and this surely calls for relevant laws to be drafted.
Such a move should be encouraged in other parts of the world, to prevent the innocent from getting swayed away by the showbiz.
