The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2023
Cadbury's Bournvita was marketed as a health drink — a YouTuber proved it was mostly sugar
A viral video showed Bournvita contained almost 50% sugar. The Indian government ordered the 'health drink' label removed from every e-commerce site.
Cadbury · 2023-04
What happened
In April 2023, YouTuber Revant Himatsingka posted a video claiming that Bournvita, Cadbury's flagship children's malt drink in India, contained almost 50% sugar and was marketed as a 'health drink' despite being more akin to a sugary beverage. The video went viral, reaching over 12 million views on Instagram.
Mondelez India, Bournvita's manufacturer, responded by sending Himatsingka a legal notice demanding the video be taken down and a public apology issued. The legal threat backfired — the story was picked up by national news, celebrities shared the video, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) launched an investigation.
The NCPCR ordered Bournvita to withdraw all misleading packaging and advertisements. The Indian government instructed e-commerce platforms to remove the 'health drink' category entirely. Mondelez representatives eventually admitted to the NCPCR that Bournvita 'is not a health drink.' The company later reduced added sugar content by approximately 15%.
Why it happened
- The product was marketed as a 'health drink' for children despite being nearly half sugar, creating a gap between what the brand claimed and what the label showed.
- The legal response to a critic drew more attention to the original claim than the critic ever could have generated alone.
- The company defended its marketing until a government body forced the admission that Bournvita was not a health product.
The lesson
When a product's label contradicts its marketing, the label wins. A legal threat against a consumer who points out the gap turns an obscure claim into a national story.
Aftermath
The Indian government removed the 'health drink' category from e-commerce platforms nationwide. Bournvita reformulated to reduce added sugar by 15%. The case set a precedent for how health-adjacent food products are marketed to children in India.
Sources
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