Though there is a ban on direct advertisement of liquor and tobacco products, companies are investing heavily to promote their products in the form of surrogate advertisements. This article throws light on the impact of surrogate advertisements on the buying behavior of consumers. The study focuses on four major issues—the perception of consumers about surrogate advertisements, recall of the original brands, the most influencing media, and the extent to which buyers are influenced.

The literal meaning of `Surrogate advertising' is duplicating the brand image of one product extensively to promote another product of the same brand.

In this competitive world, none of the organizations are spared from advertisements. Day in and day out, consumers are bombarded with hundreds of ads which have a major influence on their buying behavior. We start our day by going through the newspaper wherein we are exposed to ads, switch on the TV for news and we are forced to watch the commercials, walk on the roads and we are exposed transit ads, browse the net—we encounter ads, etc. So, the advertisement world has made inroads in our day-to-day lives and we are all heavily influenced by them.

Though advertisements provide information and create awareness, there are some ads which mislead people and benefit the organization. When such ads are witnessed and accused they are scrapped off from the media. Companies promoting alcohol and cigarettes faced opposition from a major section of society, forcing them to put a stop to their advertisements.

Advertising Express Magazine, Surrogate Advertisements, Liquor Brands, Tobacco Products, Business Magazines, Government Policies, Consumer Perceptions, Convenience Sampling Technique, Brand Awareness, Consumer Buying Behavior.