Many times, brands would use information provided by public figures in an effort to encourage more people to purchase their products and services.
But what happens when a brand decides to use a public figure’s face and name while taking what they said out of context?
Former Director-General of Health, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has taken to his Twitter page to call out the Chinese traditional herbal jelly and tea brand, Koong Woh Tong, for allegedly using his name and image to boost their sales.
He wrote, “This is another irresponsible marketing, using my name and photos by Koong Woh Yong, intended to cheat the public. What a shameful act.”
He also showcased images of how the brand had used newspaper clippings at their outlets to urge the general public to purchase their herbal jellies and drinks.
In the newspaper clippings, which were from the Covid-19 pandemic era when Dr Noor Hisham was Director-General of Health, he had mentioned that Chinese experts had suggested acupuncture and herbal medicines to prevent infections and speed up recovery from the coronavirus, calling it an auxiliary treatment.
Dr Noor Hisham has also shared that the brand using the clippings with his image and name is wrong as it misleads the public into linking what he said to the brand’s products.
“It’s misleading to link with the product,” he said in his thread.
He has since threatened to take legal action against the brand.
“It leaves me no choice but to take Koong Woh Tong to court. How much do you think I should sue them (for)? May this be a lesson to other companies? At least if I win, I can share the winnings with NGOs,” he added.
What do you think? Is it wrong for the brand to have pasted the newspaper clippings at their outlet?
Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
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