MAM
Milind Soman the Mantastic Man for active lifestyle brands
MUMBAI: Milind Soman, often referred to as the Indian Iron Man, is our own “Old Spice”. Even though he is 53, he can give any 20 year old a run for his money when it comes to doing crunches or running.
Though Milind has an engineering diploma, he did not see himself making money out of it and turned to modelling in 1988. He was launched on television screens with a big bash in Alisha Chinai’s music video, Made in India, in 1995 and later took the lead role in the Indian science fiction TV series Captain Vyom.
The model turned actor saw brands luring to sign him when he was at his career pinnacle back in the early 90s. Even at the peak of his career, he was always conscious about the brands he associated himself with. EXCEPT for the time when he did a print ad in 1995 for Tuff shoes!
One of the most controversial ads of the time was when the then hot pair Milind Soman (http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/marketing/mam/the-comeback-of-iconic-brands-180502) and Madhu Sapre, were part of a campaign for a little-known brand called Tuff shoes. The ad showcased them wearing nothing more than a pair of shoes each with a python wrapped around their bodies. The ad later had to be withdrawn and both Soman and Sapre were booked for promoting indecency.
Post the fiasco, he learnt his lesson the hard way and decided never to endorse anything that may lead to his name getting dragged into controversy again.
India’s ultra-endurance athlete and fitness evangelist believes in practising what he preaches and speaking to Indiantelevision.com, he said, “Even when I was a model 30 years ago, brands came up to me but there were several brands that I couldn’t associate with. Not that I didn’t eat those chips or didn’t have those drinks, but it wasn’t something that I wanted to promote and encourage people to consume.”
In the span of over two decades that he has been in the industry, he could only manage to promote a handful of brands including Vespa scooter, Excalibur, Phillips, Just For Men, Jeep Compass, Old Spice, Godrej shaving cream and most recently Mobiefit, Duroflex (http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/marketing/mam/duroflex-launches-sleep-marathon-with-milind-soman-180122), Q Experiences and ICICI Prudential. While people have always known him for his Made in India song, brands have always stayed away from associating with him. Maybe they got cold feet after the Tuff shoes controversy or he just doesn’t come across as a brand ambassador material on a large scale.
But why don’t we see him doing ads anymore? Despite being interested in associating with brands, he stated his position clearly as: “I am keen on endorsing brands as there is a lot of money in it but there are a lot of products that I won’t advertise. There are a lot of actors who endorse alcohol and pan masala but I will never do that. The categories and things I associate with is really small and niche.”
But Soman is more than just a pretty face. He began his entrepreneurial journey back in 2014 when he invested in health food startup ONTHERUN. He is also the brand ambassador for the company that sells 100 per cent natural energy bars.
A few years later, being a fitness enthusiast, The Pinkathon (http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/marketing/mam/colors-partners-bajaj-for-united-sisters-pinkathon-promoted-by-maximus-mice-170720) ambassador launched his own activewear brand for women Deivee in 2017, along with co-founder Darshan M and Telugu film star Allu Sirish. The company plans to invest Rs 40 crore in the next two years.
The two startups that are close to his heart haven’t been active on the marketing front at all. This is due to high investment that goes behind creating brand awareness on television, digital and out of home. They say digital is the best way to advertise as it requires minimum investment yet gives great ROI. But Soman’s half a million followers on Facebook and Instagram haven’t been able to translate into sales. He said, “Even with the following I have, I can’t endorse my brands on social media as Facebook won’t let me do it unless I pay them. Virality is important in today’s time to gain traction but achieving virality isn’t easy.”
If there is anyone in India right now who could easily be the face of health, fitness, and ageing gracefully, it has to be Soman. Off late, the supermodel, actor, producer and fitness enthusiast seems to be doing things right. Maybe the industry has finally begun to see the brand value in him. Late but not too late.
MAM
Brands push beyond compliance as trust takes centre stage
ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026 spotlights shift from legal checks to credibility.
MUMBAI: In a world where a disclaimer can be legally sound yet socially suspect, brands are learning that compliance may tick boxes but trust wins markets. At the inaugural ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026, a panel on “Beyond Compliance: The New Currency of Trust” unpacked a growing industry reality: the gap between what the law permits and what consumers accept is widening and fast.
Moderated by Meenakshi Ramkumar of National Law School of India University, the discussion brought together leaders across law, marketing and academia to examine how brands must evolve in a digital ecosystem increasingly shaped by scrutiny, scepticism and speed.
Ramkumar set the tone by highlighting a critical shift, advertising today operates in the same digital space that fuels misinformation, scams and fake news, making credibility harder to establish. “The challenge is not just about what brands do, but the broader context of low institutional trust,” she noted, adding that when violations go unchecked, trust erodes not just in brands but in the regulatory system itself.
This vacuum, she said, has given rise to consumer activism from boycotts to social media backlash as a parallel accountability mechanism.
For Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer at Marico, the distinction was clear, legal compliance is non negotiable, but insufficient. “Compliance is the minimum threshold. The real challenge is staying aligned with changing consumer expectations,” he said.
He pointed to how advertising narratives have evolved from traditional depictions of gender roles to more shared responsibilities reflecting a broader societal shift. “Earlier, it was fine to show one person doing the household work. Today, that may not land well. Consumers expect brands to reflect reality,” Bhasin observed.
He also highlighted internal debates where campaigns that may be legally permissible are still rejected for being culturally insensitive, noting that responsible advertising often requires asking uncomfortable questions before the public does.
If compliance is the baseline, reputation is the battlefield.
Bhasin noted that reputational risk has become a far greater concern than legal exposure, particularly in an era where campaigns can be dissected within hours online. “Earlier, a controversial ad might invite a newspaper editorial. Today, within hours, you’re at the centre of a storm,” he said.
Brands, he added, now evaluate campaigns through a dual lens legal viability and reputational vulnerability with the latter often proving more decisive.
From a healthcare perspective, Satish Sahoo of Cipla Health underscored the complexity of operating within fragmented yet stringent regulatory frameworks, spanning drugs, food, cosmetics and Ayush. “Anything under a drug licence is the most tightly regulated,” he said, adding that this necessitates proactive, not reactive, compliance.
He shared an example from the oral rehydration salts (ORS) category, where Cipla resisted the temptation to position products aggressively despite competitive pressure. “Our product is WHO compliant, and our communication reflects that. We chose not to blur the lines, even if others did,” he noted.
The long term payoff, he suggested, lies in credibility built over consistency, not quick wins.
Yet, as Harsha N of National Law School of India University pointed out, even perfect compliance does not guarantee trust. Drawing from historical and modern examples from exaggerated product claims in the 1800s to contemporary environmental and health advertising, he argued that legal frameworks often lag behind consumer expectations. “A brand can be fully compliant and still be perceived as misleading,” he said, citing instances where fine print disclosures fail to reach or convince the average consumer. He added that larger companies carry a disproportionate responsibility to set ethical benchmarks, even in areas where the law remains silent.
The conversation also turned to digital advertising, where the challenge extends beyond content to how ads are experienced. From algorithmic targeting to personalised messaging, brands now operate in an environment where regulation struggles to keep pace with technology.
Sahoo noted that social media has amplified awareness, with influencers and consumers increasingly scrutinising product claims and calling out inconsistencies. “Awareness has gone up dramatically. People are questioning what goes into products and what brands are saying,” he said.
The role of self regulatory bodies such as Advertising Standards Council of India also came under the spotlight.
Harsha acknowledged that while SROs play a crucial role, they are not immune to criticism, particularly around perceived conflicts of interest and enforcement gaps. “SROs have a higher threshold of responsibility not just to interpret the law, but to anticipate societal expectations,” he said.
He added that failures in self regulation often push the burden back onto government intervention, underscoring the need for stronger, more proactive oversight.
One of the more nuanced debates centred on whether building trust comes at a cost. While Sahoo acknowledged that quality and compliance can increase costs, he argued that companies must absorb them as part of their long term strategy.
Bhasin, however, framed the challenge differently not as cost, but as competitiveness in a market where not all players play by the same rules. “The real tension is when others cut corners and you choose not to,” he said.
The panel concluded with a call to embed trust into business metrics.
Sahoo suggested that organisations must go beyond revenue targets to include consumer equity and trust based KPIs, ensuring that ethical considerations are not sidelined in the pursuit of growth. “Trust sounds abstract, but it can translate into measurable consumer equity,” he said.
As the discussion wrapped up, one message stood out: the rules of advertising are being rewritten not just by regulators, but by consumers themselves. In an ecosystem where attention is fleeting and scepticism is high, brands that merely comply may survive, but those that build trust are the ones that endure.
