ASCI upheld complaints against 191 ads in March

Advertising sector watchdog ASCI upheld complaints against 191 misleading advertisementsin March 2018.The Customer Complaints Council (CCC) of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) received 269 complaints during the month.It upheld 114 in the healthcare category, 24 in the education category, 35 in the food and beverages category, 7 in the personal care and 11 in the various other categories.The ASCI has upheld claims against Chinese smartphone maker Oppo Mobile for its F5 model, where its ad shown as an article in a news paper, was found "misleading by omission".The CCC also upheld complaints against Adani Wilmar for its Fortune Besan, where it had claimed it to be "India's most admired brand", was not substantiated and it is misleading by ambiguity and omission," it said.The ad regulator also ruled against the claims of the electronic major Samsung, for its smartphone Galaxy Note 8 as "best camera phone" attributed to a review by a news paper, terming it as "false, misleading and exploits consumers".According to ASCI, the ad was "likely to lead to grave or widespread disappointment in the minds of consumers".While, Tata Chemical's ad for its Tata Salt claiming "No Added Chemicals" was found "misleading and contradictory" to the disclaimer mentioned in the advertisement.Similarly, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare ad for its health drink Horlicks Protein Plus was also pulled up for claiming it to have "3X more protein".According to the CCC, this was "misleading by ambiguity and implication that the protein content is higher than that of Protinex -- a leading product drink currently present in a tin format".Cosmetics maker L'Oreal India also could not substantiate its claim where its brand ambassador Alia Bhatt is seen endorsing 'New Garnier Light Serum Complete Cream' wherein two of her friends in this ad have dark spots and dark skin and she promises them that it will vanish in one week's time if they will use the cream."Next in the ad see Alia and her friends in all glamour and fair skin at a premiere. The advertisement's claim, "With new Garnier Light Complete . de three tones lighter skin sirf ek week mein", was not substantiated, and is misleading by exaggeration," it said.FMCG major HUL was also pulled up for its claims on "Pure Derm Anti Dandruff Shampoo". ASCI found it "an absolute claim" and was not adequately substantiated.Similarly, liquor maker Pernod Ricard India was also found indulged into "surrogate advertisement for the promotion of a liquor product - Chivas Regal" through its Chivas Studio - Win the right way Music CD.

ASCI upheld complaints against 191 ads in March

More From This Section

Ambubachi Mela takes off in Assam

Court gives 2-yr jail term to SP for custodial torture

15 tonnes of beef seized, 3 arrested in Maha's Kalyan

Lord Bilimoria among top 100 influencers in the UK-India relations

Explore News