Vivo will not feature Aamir Khan, Sara Ali Khan in its advertisements: Report

In a first, Chinese smartphone Vivo won't be using ambassadors and Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and Sara Ali Khan in its advertisements over the next few months, according to a report from the Economic Times.

“Vivo will advertise new phone launches in the coming months including the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 for which it is the itle sponsor, but none of the new phones will be promoted by actors Aamir or Sara despite their star power," according to Economic Times, citing an industry executive aware of the development.

Deccan Herald couldn't independently verify the news report.

The announcement came after New Delhi earlier this month banned 59 apps linked to China, alleging that they were used in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order”.

Also Read | Govt of India bans TikTok, ShareIt, Mi video call and 56 other Chinese apps

Talking about the issue, Manish Poorwal, managing director at talent management firm Alchemist Marketing & Talent Solutions told ET that scaling down of advertising showing celebrities upfront was expected for the time being. "This is to avoid any possible backlash in terms of consumer sentiment for the celebrities who are household names,” he said.

With the growing anti-China sentiment in the country, Chinese brands such as Oppo, Vivo and Realme lost a significant portion of their market share in India, falling from 81 per cent to 72 per cent during April to June, according to Counterpoint Research.