Nollywood gets creative at the Toronto International film Festival (aka TIFF) .
I had the pleasure of joining the cast and the producer(s) of The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (aka RHH) at the movie premiere TIFF on 09  September 2017.

As the celebrities styled their designer wears on the red carpet, I asked – do they have any interest in the US Federal Trade Commision (FTC) or the UK Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) ? The CAP incorporated principles of the US FTC from September 2010.

EbonyLife the lifestyle TV and producers continue to classically define Nollywood films, by successfully giving it a global appeal. This September 9 marked the second world-premiere ceremony for EbonyLife TV Nigeria. The first Toronto premiere being the film The Wedding Party held at TIFF last year.

Sophisticated leading co-star- Kenneth Okolie & cast- Toni Tones.

As said, on 9 September at “The Royal Hibiscus Hotel” premiere, people attended TIFF because they loved the movies, others for the fashion, and others to meet the celebrity cast. However, as for me, I watched the cast work the red carpet. Some interviews described their dresses , traditional styles or tuxedos , and extolled the responsible designers brilliance and/or overall fashion IQ. The cast were effusive in the description of the designers.

Then the advertising and marketing attorney experience came to me, were the actors and actresses (from a UK and to a large extent Nigerian point of view) violating the UK Committee of Advertising Practice aka the Guide? Were the cast providing endorsements for respective designers. In the case of the red carpet and televised interviews, the Guide suggests that the celebrity should disclose his or her material collection to the advertiser.

So if the celebrity is paid to speak publicly about the fashion designer, then such payment would likely affect the weight or credibility that the consumer gives to the celebrities endorsement. It could be said that the celebrity was “paid” by getting the dress, robe or tuxedo as a “gift”.

Returning to The Royal Hibiscus Hotel premiere at TIFF, a consumer perception survey, demonstrates that if celebrities such as Mo Abudu- (one of the executive producers of RHH), effusively describes her beautiful couture dress, if she was given to wear it or otherwise, compensated for her appearance and words, the Guide warns that not all consumers, however, might identify such a relationship, and thus, the, connection should be disclosed. Will we start to see the flood of complaints filed against fashion designers and/or movie stars arising out of their endorsement?
I think not. But it is important for advertisers to think carefully whether the connection between the product and it’s endorser is material; and whether consumers would understand that the endorser has been compensated for his or her endorsement; and whether a material connection needs to be disclosed?

Mo, if you do find yourself on the wrong side of the Guide, then please ping me to represent you! ?

Well done Mo. Thank you for letting me share with you and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel cast this momentous and sincerely memorable event. ??