Think of the number of times you felt that an advertisement that appeared on television or in the print media was indecent. You just switched to a different channel to protect your children from indecent images or words.

Did you know that you can force a company or ad agency to withdraw an indecent or misleading ad? Next time you encounter an annoying ad, do not be in a hurry to switch channels. Note down a few details about the advertisement so that you can file a complaint at the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

You need to note down the following details:

1. The name of the product or service that is advertised.

2. The company that sells the product or service.

3. The name of the TV channel on which the ad appeared

4. Language of the ad

5. The date and time at which the ad was broadcast

6. A short description of the visual or accompanying audio

If the advertisement appeared in a print medium, note down the name, number/volume and date of publication. You may have to enclose a clipping or copy of the print advertisement.

Indecent advertisements can be television commercials, print ads, outdoor hoardings, on-line ads, radio ads or even SMS ads. The ads need not just be indecent. If you feel that an ad is misleading or is incorrect in its claim about a product, you can file a complaint.

The council has constant complaints pouring in against various ads; the number of ads that people have criticised in a period of the last 12 months is 140 advertisements. Complaints are not counted, as more than one complaint against the same ads are common, so we count the number of ads that complaints are against, explains Allan Collaco, the Secretary General of ASCI.

“No point crying about ads you find offensive when you can do something. If you find that an ad is misleading, dishonest, indecent or promotes unsafe practices, please let us know,” says Collaco.

Last year, Hindustan Unilever Limited had to withdraw an advertisement on its Lux brand of soap. The advertisement was in a cartoon format, but its content, portrayal and audio were considered as being for adults. The complaint alleged that the ad bombarded images of sexual nature on young impressionable minds of children. The council noted that the campaign “was aired on Cartoon Network, a channel watched by children (and) the contents, depiction of visuals in a cartoon format, were considered offensive to generally accepted standards of public decency”.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola, which showed a Bollywood actor driving a car in a rash and negligent manner to secure his Thumps Up bottle, had to modify the ad. The complaint against the ad alleged that “any individual inspired by the advertisement, if attempts to perform such daredevil acts/feat, there is a very likelihood that he will loose his life/limb and therefore the advertisement should be prohibited.” The council found that it was against ASCI’s guidelines on advertisements for automotive vehicles.

Gillette had to withdraw a television advertisement that said a Gillette Vector Plus blade lasts for three weeks, which gave an impression to consumers that the blade lasts for 21 shaves whereas it lasts for only about seven shaves. The ad’s fine print did say “only on the basis of one shave every three days”, but the fine print appeared on the screen for too short a period for audiences to read fully.

Other companies that had to either withdraw or modify their advertisements include Henkel India Ltd (Mr White), Eureka Forbes Ltd (Aquaguard), Bajaj Auto Ltd (Bajaj Pulsar), VLCC Personal Care Ltd (Shape Up Anti Cellulite Oil and Gel), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (Zen Estilo), Novartis India Ltd (Calcium Sandoz Soft Chew) and Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Ltd (Plug to surf USB Modem).

According to the ASCI code, one may complaining against advertisements are “not offensive to generally accepted standards of public decency.” Remember that “generally accepted standards of public decency” keep changing. Such standards are determined primarily by how society responds to indecency. In a society where no one complains against indecency, advertisers may misconstrue the legal terms and claim that their ads are according to the “generally accepted standards.” So, next time you see an indecent ad, be the first one to stand up against it.

A complaint form can be download from www.ascionline.org Fill in the details and mail it to The Secretary General, The Advertising Standards Council of India, 219, Bombay Market, 78 Tardeo Road, Mumbai 400 034. Tel: (022) 23513982, Fax: 23516863. Complaints may be sent as email to asci@vsnl.com in the prescribed format. However, it has to be followed up by a hard copy of the full complaint form.
 

This page is updated on Sep 08, 2009