ASCI upholds complaints against 42 advertisement campaigns

Advertising industry watchdog ASCI has upheld complaints against 42 out of 79 campaigns in December for misleading advertisements, including those of OLX, Snapdeal, Uber, Bharti Airtel, Marico and Colgate- Palmolive India.
According to the Customer Complaints Council of Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI), out of the 42 advertisements, 8 belonged to the healthcare category, 9 to the education category followed by 7 in the ecommerce segment, 3 in telecommunication and broadband and 15 advertisements from other categories.
ASCI upheld complaint against Snapdeal as "the claim in the advertisement, 'free delivery' was not substantiated".
On the other hand, complaints against OLX were upheld for the use of phrase "deriding a certain caste of people" and visual use of 'a police inspector riding a bike without a helmet' as shown in the advertisement, promotes an unsafe practice".

Complaint against Uber India passed the ASCI muster, which said "switch to Uber @ Rs 9/-per km period, was not substantiated and was also misleading by omission of any disclaimer that other additional charges are also being charged per minute/per trip".
ASCI also upheld three complaints against Bharti Airtel for "misleading" and "contravening the ASCI Guidelines".

Besides, complaints against advertisements of Colgate-Palmolive and Marico were also upheld.
In the Colgate advertisement, "The scene in the ad showing 'two young school students kneeling on the school floor', is in violation of Article 21 of the Protection of Children against Corporal Punishment in Schools and Institutions. Also, the advertisement is likely to result in the physical, mental or moral harm of the children," ASCI said.

While Marico's advertisement for its product Nihar Shanti Amla Hair Oil claiming '500 per cent jyada Vitamin E' was found misleading.
"The choice of comparison with a product that does not contain Vitamin E confers an artificial advantage upon the advertiser and there is likelihood of consumer being misled. Also, such comparison unfairly discredits Dabur Amla product," advertising watchdog said.