Panel seeks modifications in 11 ads

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has taken serious note of 11 print and television advertisements for violating government rules, hurting sentiments and making misleading claims.

After examining the controversial promotional items, ASCI, a self-regulatory body which monitors the advertising industry, brought out a compilation of reports for the period between October and December 2008, and has sought modification of some of the advertisements appearing in newspapers and television.

While the body sent suo motu notices to some advertisers, it sought the modifications after receiving objections and complaints from consumer bodies against certain advertisements.

In some cases, the decision of ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) has been challenged by advertisers.

Prominent among advertisements that have been objected to include a print advertisement of a coaching institute that shows a chopped squirrel. The advertisement was seen on a billboard put up in Kerala in August 2008.

A complaint against the advertisement in Kerala was made to ASCI by a consumer representative organisation, claiming that squirrels are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and killing them is an offence under that Act.

On being brought to the notice of the body, the advertiser assured ASCI that the said advertisement was withdrawn from October 15, 2008, onwards and added that pictures of squirrel will not be used in any of its future promotional items.

Similarly an advertisement of a leading watch company, which appeared on several TV channels, showed a boy and a girl driving their respective cars and ASCI sent a suo motu notice after it found the action shown “dangerous and manifesting a disregard for safety without justifiable reason”.

The advertisement was later modified by the company.

ASCI also found another TV advertisement of a well-known web search engine that showed “a stammerer skydiving and failing to count till 10”, derogatory.

The advertisement was brought to the notice of ASCI by one of its members. The panel in its observation on the advertisement said, “It was in very bad taste and embarrassing for a stammerer”.

The advertiser assured appropriate modification of the commercial.

In the case of another print advertisement by a leading retail company, which claimed about its products in the said advertisement that “Isse sasta aur achcha kahin nahi” (nothing can be cheap and best than this), a complainant has countered the advertiser’s claim.