How are brands mitigating the media glare on Paul Shah?
There is a popular saying in Nepal. Macchiyo Macchiyo thacchiyo. Paul Shah had become a ubiquitous brand name. While his acting and dancing chops are more than questionable, there was a time when he was shooting up to one music video per day charging up to 1 lakh for the same. His financial contribution to low-earning film workers during the COVID lockdown grabbed national headlines too. However, recently his name has been cropping up for all the wrong reasons. Paul Shah has been accused of rape by a minor belonging to the same industry. So, what’s going on with the different brands that he had endorsed?
Pooja Sharma was rightly worried about the impact Paul Shah’s arrest would have on her production; Ma Esto Geet Gauchu 2. Ergo, it made sense for her finding emotional audience outside the theatre; wearing a T-shirt that sported Paul Shah’s photo. However, as it seems that her movie has emerged a hit now, her ‘support’ for Paul Shah seems to be fading evident by her silence ever since. Pooja seems to have moved on with a hit in her kitty.
More interestingly, Shah was signed as the brand ambassador for NMB bank only recently. While the bank thought it best to leverage his fame, the bank has decided to follow Gandhi’s saying to heart- that of don’t see/hear/speak of evil! Laure’s arrest had led to similar issue for Roadies brand. While global brands take controversies seriously, Nepalese brands seem to be totally apathetic to the issue. Take the case of Byzus, for example. After Shah Rukh Khan’s son was arrested for drugs related charges, the popular education platform dropped Shah Rukh Khan from its TVC ads. However, NMB bank has decided to ride the wave out in total silence.
Brands and ambassadors have a symbiotic/ parasitic relationship. For consumers, however, they are one and the same. Therefore, from a brand’s perspective, it is pertinent that they give serious thought into selecting their ambassadors. A brand should never get an ambassador on-board just to build awareness. Controversial figures like Laure or Paul Shah, now, are nothing but harbingers of long term negative scrutiny to a brand.
Since the matter is sub-judice, BrandGuff isn’t labelling Paul Shah innocent or guilty. Like any law abiding citizen, BrandGuff respects the judiciary and is convinced that the court will take the right decision. That said, from a purely brand perspective, BrandGuff insists that brands should be cognizant of the social wave surrounding its ambassadors. It seemed apt that NMB bank chose Paul Shah at the height of his fame as their brand ambassador. However, that said by choosing to keep silent, NMB bank has not only failed to distance itself from Shah related controversy, but also missed an opportunity to assert their stance on standing besides and empowering women. Instead, as of writing, NMB bank has rejected our request for comment.
Brands like NMB cannot afford to stay silent over issues like rape and violence against women. Simply putting a ‘Happy International Women’s day’ post on social media won’t connote your brand’s resolve towards empowering them.
On a side note, it is alarming how Nepalese people tend to normalize underaged relationships. It is moot whether the alleged victim filed the complaint for financial motives. Irrespective of her ‘current motives’, if she is speaking the truth, sex with a minor is a criminal offence and law should take it course. Towards this, BrandGuff also requests its readers to respect the judiciary and let the law run its course instead of expressing vitriol through social media taking either sides.
