ASCI asks firms to suspend misleading ads on TV

December 28, 2009

Source: PTI

By: Media Mughals

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has brought advertisement campaigns by 15 firms under scanner for misleading the audience in general.

ASCI is a self regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry that deals with the complaints received from consumers and industry, against advertisements which are considered as false, misleading, indecent, illegal, leading to unsafe practices, or unfair to competition, and consequently in contravention of the ASCI code for self-regulation in advertising.

The self regulatory body has pulled up 15 firms for running misleading ad campaigns during July to October this year. These include telecom operators Reliance Communication and Idea Cellular, FMCG player Dabur and Elder Pharma and coaching centre Career Launcher, violating the council's code.

Following this Reliance Communication had to suspend a television commercial as it failed to substantiate its claim "with comparative data of other mobile services" that the company is the "fastest mobile broadband service in India". The modifications are being made to the advertisement currently.

As for Idea Cellular, the company had to modify its one of the commercial of its most popular ad campaigns Walk and Talk. According to a complaint filed with the ASCI the TVC encourages the unsafe act of walking while talking on the mobile phone which showed people walking, while talking on mobile phones.