A few weeks ago, Indians woke up to shock and awe when they saw James Bond endorsing pan masala, a product usually associated with ill-health, decaying teeth and cancer. Actor Pierce Brosnan has now accused the Indian pan masala brand of deceiving him into doing an advertisement for them. Brosnan stated that he was originally led to believe that the advertisement would be for a “breath freshener/tooth whitener”.
When on October 7, Indians woke up to the image of James Bond endorsing a pan masala on newspapers and billboards, Brosnan received a lot of backlash as the product is carcinogenic in nature and has several ill-effects to its user. Expressing his deep concern for healthcare, Brosnan said that the “unauthorised and deceptive use” of his image has left him “deeply shocked and saddened”. In an official statement, Brosnan asserted that he was led to believe that the advertisement would be for a product that is “all-natural containing neither tobacco, supari, nor any other harmful ingredient.”
In an interview with People’s magazine, Brosnan stated, “As a man who has spent decades championing women’s healthcare and environmental protection, I was distressed to learn of Pan Bahar’s unauthorized and deceptive use of my image to endorse their range of pan masala products.” Brosnan, who has lost a daughter and his first wife along with many other friends to cancer, stated that he would never have entered into a contract had he known about the nature of Pan Bahar products.
Brosnan added that he feels “grossly manipulated” by the Indian brand, that has presented Brosnan as the brand ambassador for its range of products to mainstream media. In an attempt to rectify the fraudulent behaviour, he has demanded the withdrawal of his image from all Pan Bahar products. He also requested all who were offended by his ad to accept his heartfelt apologies.
