Even though wine is banned from advertising content in Vietnam, it has appeared in numerous local media productions, raising the eyebrows of people who allege that these works are disguised advertisements.

After its premiere early this week, “Lua Phat,” Vietnam’s first fantasy action film, directed by Vietnamese-American director Dustin Nguyen, has received negative responses, not only for its low quality given its high cost, but also for its alleged advertising for a brandy brand.

In one scene, the main character, named Dao, walks into a tavern and asks the pub to serve him their best wine. A green bottle of wine appears on the screen, slowly enough for viewers to recognize its brand. The scene continues for a few minutes, with Dao talking about the wine, before a wall of many other bottles from the same brand is shown behind the bar.

Earlier this year, local pop singer Ho Ngoc Ha was involved in an incident in which her father-themed music video was criticized as a disguised ad for a brandy brand.

In June, the singer joined local artists in singing in the music video titled “Cam On Cha” (Thank You, Father) as a gift for Father’s Day. However, instead of being praised for her filial act of featuring her father in the video, Ha was critcized by netizens, who said she took advantage of her father to advertise the brandy brand that appeared during the video. Throughout the song, a scene featuring the singers giving their fathers a gift - a bottle of wine with its brand name shown slowly and clearly - repeatedly appeared.

One month before this, the fashion show called “Dem hoi chan dai 7” (The long-legged bash 7) received a VND35million (US$1,683) penalty for its wine advertisement, unpermitted underwear performance, and other violations.

Before the show took place its organizer, Venus Co., was warned by local authorities about the release of its invitation cards, which featured 19 semi-nude male and female models and the logo of a brandy brand.

In addition, besides being featured on screens, the logos of some brands of wine have been “naturally advertised” on social networks and newswires by appearing as the background for several local celebrities’ photos when they attended the brands’ parties.