MAM
Fashion & lifestyle influencers top list of influencer advertising guidelines violations: ASCI
Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released a report on influencer advertising that lists brands and influencers that failed to comply with the guidelines set by the industry body for influencer advertising. Fashion and lifestyle influencers topped the list of category violations, according to the report that is based on ASCI’s monitoring efforts of the guideline in the period July-December 2021.
Ads without disclosures fell predominantly under four categories, according to the report, with fashion and lifestyle violators forming a majority at 29 per cent, followed by ads in the Cosmetic (19 per cent), food & beverage (13 per cent), and personal care (12 per cent) categories respectively.
The report listed some of the key violations observed as ‘absence of disclosures,’ ‘inconsistency of disclosure,’ such as, in Instagram stories, while the first story may have the disclosure, the ones after that did not have a disclosure, and ‘incorrect disclosure placement’ – wherein the disclosure labels were not placed in a manner that was easily visible to the audience. For example, the viewer had to scroll down/click read more to see the disclosure.
ASCI launched the Guidelines for Influencer Advertising in Digital Media on 27 May 2021 to ensure transparency of branded promotions on social media by influencers. The guidelines came into effect on 14 June 2021.
Through its partnership with Reech, ASCI started suo motu screening of social media platforms as well as handling end-consumer complaints in July 2021. Over a span of six months, it screened about 5000 posts/ stories/ feeds from influencer handles and completed processing of 719 posts which were considered to be prima facie violations of the guidelines.
Out of the total complaints processed, 21 per cent originated from end consumers, the rest were picked up suo motu through the industry body’s AI-based surveillance. Most complaints from end consumers were from Instagram feeds and stories, as per the report.
Out of the 719 posts processed, 577 (80 per cent) influencers voluntarily amended/withdrew their posts, said the report. Of the remaining 142 complaints, 121 were upheld by ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council and influencers were asked to withdraw or modify their posts. In all, ASCI recommendations received 86 per cent compliance from influencers.
Some of the influencers and brands who were in breach of the guidelines and who failed to comply with disclosure labels on the first and subsequent routine checks included Bollywood personalities Jacqueline Fernandez for Colorbar Cosmetics, Ranveer Singh for Manyavar Creations and Urvashi Rautela, and fashion influencer Sonam Babani of Instagram-handle @fashioneiress, among others.
Brands
Yes Madam taps Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don nostalgia to power new digital campaign
Home salon platform ropes in Tanya Mittal as it bets on humour and pop culture to showcase trust and convenience
NOIDA: India’s fast-growing home salon platform Yes Madam is leaning on nostalgia and a dose of comic chaos to pitch its services. The brand has launched a new digital campaign starring Rajpal Yadav and influencer Tanya Mittal, reviving Yadav’s much-loved Chota Don character to underline the reliability of at-home beauty services.
The campaign marks Yes Madam’s first collaboration with Rajpal Yadav and revisits the quirky Chota Don persona made famous in the 2007 film Partner. Produced with Footloose Films, the film blends slapstick humour with a nostalgic callback to spotlight the platform’s promise of dependable, quality services delivered at home.
The storyline plays out like a miniature action comedy. Tanya Mittal finds herself surrounded by goons and calls for help, only for Rajpal Yadav to appear in full Chota Don mode, dispatching the attackers in his trademark comic style as Mittal cheers him on. The drama then flips abruptly to a calmer scene, with Mittal relaxing at home while enjoying a Yes Madam service and insisting the heroic episode really happened, even as posters of Chota Don decorate her house. The film ends with Yadav’s voiceover declaring that the incident may or may not have happened, but the trust and quality of Yes Madam’s services certainly have.
The collaboration also follows a broader show of support for Rajpal Yadav within the industry. In the growing wave of backing for the veteran actor, Mayank Arya, co-founder and chief executive of Yes Madam, publicly supported actor-producer Sonu Sood’s call for concrete help from the film industry and corporate brands. Arya took to the social media platform X urging companies to move beyond expressions of sympathy and instead offer tangible opportunities to the actor amid his ongoing legal and financial challenges.
He wrote, “Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the great talent. @Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam! Have already aligned the team on it. #ComeBackStronger.”
Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the the great talent.@Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam !
Have already aligned the team on it.#ComeBackStronger https://t.co/Q7qpJttLTs— Mayank Arya (@iammayankarya) February 11, 2026
Rajpal Yadav recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay dues in a long-running cheque-bounce case. The actor had been accused in the case in 2018 after he was unable to repay a loan taken for a film project that failed at the box office. The court later ordered him to surrender after the dues remained unpaid.
The situation triggered a wave of support from several high-profile figures. Sonu Sood emerged as one of the most prominent voices, expressing solidarity and promising Yadav a role in his next film. Sood emphasised that industry support should be about dignity and real job opportunities rather than charity. Celebrities including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Gurmeet Choudhary and Guru Randhawa have also publicly extended financial and professional support.
Before surrendering, Rajpal Yadav shared an emotional statement in which he spoke about feeling alone and unsupported, a remark that struck a chord with many in the industry. However, his brother later clarified that the actor would never have intended to suggest that he lacked support from colleagues or well-wishers.
Reflecting on the campaign, Mayank Arya said the film was designed to entertain while strengthening the brand’s message. “At Yes Madam, we have always believed in creating campaigns that connect with audiences in an engaging and memorable way. I had earlier spoken about the importance of extending meaningful opportunities to Rajpal Yadav, and we are glad to be the first brand to take that step forward with this collaboration. Through this film, we wanted to create a compelling narrative while also reinforcing the trust and reliability that customers associate with Yes Madam’s services,” Arya said.
Akanksha Vishnoi, co-founder, said the campaign leans on nostalgia to strike a chord with digital audiences. “Consumers today engage deeply with content that blends entertainment with relatability. With this campaign, we wanted to revisit a nostalgic moment while subtly reinforcing the convenience and reliability of at-home services. Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don is an iconic character that instantly evokes nostalgia and humour, making it the perfect fit for this campaign. Tanya Mittal’s presence added a vibrant energy and helped us bring the vision of the campaign to life,” Vishnoi said.
Founded in 2016, Yes Madam offers salon and spa services at home through trained professionals using hygienic, single-use product formats. The platform now operates in more than 55 cities across India, pitching convenience, transparency and quality to a growing base of urban consumers.
The new campaign, rolling out across social media and video platforms, makes its pitch with a wink. The Chota Don rescue might be fiction, but the promise of a salon at your doorstep, the brand suggests, is the real deal.
