Miss Grand International 2021 Thuy Tien’s recent livestream ad scandal with Hang Du Muc and Quang Linh Vlogs, hyping Kera vegetable candy, still burns hot in the public. The candy, unlike its claims, has been recalled, badly denting Thuy Tien’s reputation.

Thuy Tien admitted that as a KOL, she didn’t vet the product well. To ease the consequences, she pledged to team up with the brand to compensate and refund consumers. She also hopes to join talks on KOL’s ad accountability, not as a pageant queen but as a “living example” of a mistake.

It’s a costly lesson for Thuy Tien; unverified ads can harm people, including her fans’ health and trust. She’s admitted her mistake and vowed to mend it, but brands may now hesitate to cooperate with her.

Back in September 2023, actress Cat Tuong begged fans’ forgiveness for falsely touting “diabetes-curing milk,” sparking outrage. She admitted misusing technical terms beyond ad law limits, offering to personally apologize to buyers if it flopped (if asked) and partly cover their losses.

In May 2021, People’s Artist Hong Van promoted herbal effervescent tablets as a drug substitute and later publicly apologized to fans, admitting she’d failed to verify the product’s credibility and sales tactics.

Singer Phuong My Chi once advertised a whitening cosmetic of unclear origin. When it was found uncertified, she swiftly removed the post from her page and apologized, owning up to sloppy vetting.

Actress Dieu Nhi pitched a supplement for weight loss without diet or exercise. The US FDA later warned against it for lacking full validation. Facing fan backlash, Dieu Nhi apologized, vowing not to repeat the mistake.

Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy faced an administrative fine from the Food Safety Department for misstating a supplement’s benefits. After public outcry, she apologized and pledged more caution with brand deals.

Known as a national MC, Quyen Linh’s credibility took a hit in 2021 when he owned up overhyping the benefits of a functional food product. He insisted he’d never plug shady goods but had misstated effects after use.

Cat Tuong, Quyen Linh, Thuy Tien, and other stars must grasp the grave stakes of false health ads. One slip can trigger fan boycotts or a “buy fame for a fortune, lose it for pennies” fallout.

No one forbids artists from accepting to be brand ambassadors or advertise for a product, as long as it is not a banned item. However, sobriety and caution are necessary because things may occur beyond their control.

Recently, singer Chi Pu became Vietnam’s face for a Chinese car brand. China is the market she is eyeing after her “Pretty Sister” show. The information has reminded the trouble that occurred one year ago.

On August 28, 2024, MG Vietnam’s fanpage posted a video introducing the new MG7 model with a Vietnam map without Ha Giang province, stirring backlash. 

In May 2024, Chinese bike brand Yadea in Vietnam used a map misnaming Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos. Yadea Vietnam’s store map hid these islands locally but labeled them in Chinese language abroad.

Nguyen Dinh Thanh, a well known branding expert, said: “Chi Pu is the brand ambassador for a Chinese car company and if the General Department of Quality of Vietnam said the car runs well in Vietnam, it is fine. But if the Sao Bac Dau operating system puts the cow tongue line on the map, which remains a territorial dispute between Vietnam and China, it will be beyond the control. So we can only tell them to be careful in this case."

“"Artists know that they have responsibilities before the law, before the public, before themselves, so they must be careful, and need to check all documents when they are invited to advertise, so as to find out how good the product is. In particular, they need to be 3-4 times more cautious when advertising medicine because it affects the health and lives of others,” Thanh said.

"They must check full test docs about medicine products and understand that there is no ‘miracle cure’. Carelessness aids lawbreakers. If they know it’s wrong and proceed, fines should spike for deterrence.”

Thanh listed risks of false celeb ads: criminal charges if deaths or major harm result; civil penalties under the Ad Law, Decree 72/2013/ND-CP on internet info, and Cybersecurity Law for sowing panic, breaching norms, or harming others; and the ultimate blow—fan boycotts.

Quynh An