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Tag: ASCI

  • “I&B to partner with ASCI to curb misleading advertisements”: Narendra Ambwani

    “I&B to partner with ASCI to curb misleading advertisements”: Narendra Ambwani

    An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Narendra Ambwani has spent over 34 years of his career with Johnson & Johnson. He led the rapid growth of Indian operations of Johnson & Johnson by building hugely successful and strong brands like Johnsons’ Baby and Stayfree. His strong focus on people engagement and development made J&J India as one of the “Best Companies to work for” in India.

     

    Ambwani, a professionally trained CEO coach and business advisor, now serves on boards of leading companies in India and acts as business advisor for marketing of FMCG products.

     

    In the coming year, we hope to promote ASCI’s guidelines more vigorously among advertisers and creative agencies, so that new ads meet ASCI’s standards at the creative stage itself, he said while taking charge as Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) chairman .

     

    During the year 2013-14, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) met 41 times and considered complaints against 1,937 advertisements. Indiantelevision.com’s Meghna Sharma spoke to the new chairman to see what is on his priority list.

     

    As the new ASCI chairman, what will be on your priority list and why?

     

    Our priorities for year 2014-15 are:

     

    •         Self discipline by creators of advertising – This would ensure that the advertisements are compliant with the self-regulation code of the ASCI at the time of their creation itself.

     

    •         Easier access to ASCI services – More and more consumers now have better access to internet. Social media is also playing a very important role when it comes to consumers expressing their opinion. Our efforts are underway to make it easier for consumers to reach ASCI – be it to complain against objectionable advertisement or for ASCI members to get trained on self-regulation code. We would announce these initiatives in the coming months.

     

    •         Collaboration with the regulators – The new mantra of “Less Government, more Governance” is in the true spirit of self-regulation. Department of Consumer Affairs, FSSAI and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is looking to partner with ASCI to curb the issue of misleading advertisements and protect the consumers’ interest. We are closely collaborating with e-regulators and are a key stakeholder in the Inter Ministerial Committees.

     

    •         Being seen as fair by all stakeholders – For every complaint that we process, one party is always unhappy! If a complaint is upheld, it is the advertisers and if a complaint is not upheld, it is the consumer who may feel that has ASCI been fair. By continuing to keep our processes transparent and decisions providing clear rationale, we would be seen as a fair and unbiased organisation taking very objective decisions. Our aim is to communicate this better with all our stakeholders.

     

    Recently, ASCI had set new guidelines that will not allow ads for fairness creams and other fairness products to depict people with dark skin as inferior to those who are fair. What triggered the association to come up with the new guidelines now?

     

    While all fairness products are licensed for manufacture and sale by relevant state Food & Drug Administration (FDA) under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, there is a strong concern in certain sections of society that advertising of fairness products tends to communicate and perpetuate the notion that dark skin is inferior and undesirable. ASCI code’s Chapter III 1 b already states that advertisements should not deride race, caste, colour, creed or nationality. Yet given how widespread the advertising for fairness and skin lightening products is and the concerns of different stakeholders in society, ASCI therefore felt a need to frame specific guidelines for this product category.

     

    Setting up these new guidelines for the skin lightening and fairness products will help advertisers comply with ASCI code’s Chapter III 1 b which states that advertisements should not deride any race, caste, colour, creed or nationality . Given how widespread the advertising for fairness and skin lightening products is and the concerns of different stakeholders in society, ASCI saw the need to setup specific guidelines for this product category.

     

    What other segments are under scrutinisation? Why?

    None at this moment.

     

    You have said that ASCI wants to collaborate strongly with the regulators and consumer groups. When do we see that happening?

     

    ASCI has been in close contact with all the key stakeholders such as regulatory bodies or consumer groups. It is an ongoing process and with the efficiencies that we have achieved in the last few years in terms of speed of complaint redressal, regulatory bodies and consumer groups are seeing ASCI as a strong partner. This collaboration is continuing to strengthen as these stakeholders are now relying more and more on ASCI to process complaints.

     

    As awareness increases, will we see more marketing activities from the association to let more common people complain about ads?

     

    We have seen encouraging responses in the last couple of years and are looking forward to reaching out to the consumers extensively. We organise campaigns and seminars in colleges for the youth to be aware of ASCI. We have a dynamic PR team that helps us spread communication and visibility of the council to our consumers. With our digital medium consumers lodge complaints via the ASCI website, the ASCI Facebook page, email and through smartphones. We also have maintained the traditional mediums i.e. toll free telephone and regular post for increased customer feedback. Growing awareness of ASCI is evident in the fact that the number of complaints that we have processed in the last two years have grown ten folds!

     

    ASCI code of conduct is known to all advertising agency. Then why do we see repeated offence. Do you think the penalty should be more stringent?

     

    By and large, contrary to the perception, we have a very healthy compliance rate with the ASCI’s CCC decisions. There are very few repeat offenders and the compliance rate is more than 90 per cent. With the strong support coming in from the government bodies, we are confident that the compliance rate would only improve further.

     

    Last year, ASCI reduced the complaint processing turnaround time to just 12 days. What can we expect this year?

    This year we have some very interesting initiatives planned. We would announce them in the coming months. These are in line with the priorities set for the year 2014-15.

     

    Lastly, any advice for the advertising agencies?

     

    Regulate yourselves, else somebody else would regulate you!

  • ASCI upheld complaints against 134 out of 147 ads

    ASCI upheld complaints against 134 out of 147 ads

    MUMBAI: In July 2014, Advertising Standard Council of India’s (ASCI) Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 134 out of 147 advertisements.

    The CCC found the claims in health and personal care product or service ads of 56 advertisers, released in the press to be either misleading or false or not adequately/scientifically substantiated and hence violated ASCI’s code. Some of the health care products or services advertisements also contravened provisions of The Drug & Magic Remedies Act, Chapter 1.1 and III.4 of the ASCI code.

    The complaints were upheld against L’Oreal India’s advertisement claims that Garnier Colour Naturals provides nourishment to hair for eight weeks. ITC’s YouTube advertisement derides colour as a dark skinned girl is shown as not being confident and suffering from an inferiority complex due to her complexion. It shows that only after applying Vivel cream does she appear confident enough to sing in public. Similarly, Marico advertisement, which stars Rahul Bose, claims that Livon Hair Gain helps to stop hair fall within 90 days. The claims on the product pack were not consistent with those in the advertisement.

    The personal and healthcare category was followed by 61 advertisements in the education category.

    International Institute of Hotel Management advertisement claims to be India’s largest hotel school chain and Asia’s 100 fastest growing private educational institutes with 100 per cent global placement record. Prestige Institute of Management advertisement claims that Prestige Institute of Management is ranked among the top 1000 B-schools in the world by Ed-universal official selection, Paris. It further adds that Prestige is rated A++ among Management Institutions by Business India, November 2013 issue and ranked 16th among Management Institutes in India by Higher Education Review, 2014. In addition, the advertisement claims to be truly number 1 B-school in Central India.

    In the automobile category, Hero MotoCorp advertisement for Hero Xtreme shows an everyday activity being performed on the bike in an irresponsible manner. The advertisement contravened Chapter III.3 of the ASCI code (“Ads shall not, without justifiable reason, show or refer to dangerous practice or manifest a disregard for safety or encourage negligence.”). The complaint was upheld. Similarly, TVS Motor Company advertisement for TVS Phoenix 125 shows actor Nazar asking for a lift by standing in the middle of the road. When asked for lift, actor Mahesh stops the bike in the middle of the road. The CCC viewed the TVC and concluded that the visual promotes unsafe practices. The advertisement contravened Chapter III.3 of the ASCI code. The complaint was upheld.

     

    Click here to view the entire list

  • ASCI to investigate violation of code of medical ethics

    ASCI to investigate violation of code of medical ethics

    MUMBAI: Medical Council of India (MCI) backs Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) for taking action against doctors whose advertisements violate the Medical Code of Ethics Regulations 2002.

     

    In its letter, The Ethics Committee of MCI has strongly backed ASCI for its efforts and self-regulatory mechanism of ensuring ethical advertising practices.

     

     ASCI has observed and processed a large number of complaints of health care products, services and clinic advertisements which has mention of or promotions of doctors. As per MCI rules, doctors cannot promote themselves in advertisements. As an immediate action, ASCI reported to MCI a list of such doctors who were resorting to advertisements in newspapers and on Television and also making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims.  As a response to that, MCI has directed ASCI to send them a state wise list of Allopathic doctors registered with MCI/SMC who have been advertising their products or services so that appropriate action can be taken.

     

    MCI has also directed ASCI to refer to the Indian Medical Registry for obtaining details of doctors making misleading claims in their advertisements and have instructed State Medical Councils (SMC) to further investigate and take action against doctors who do not follow the Medical Council (professional conduct, etiquette & ethics) Regulations, 2002 within a period of six months. This would help MCI to take required action in accordance with the code of Medical Ethics. MCI also sought help from the ASCI to report advertisements by fake doctors to appropriate Law Enforcing Authorities of the Country.

     

    According to ASCI chairman Narendra Ambwani, “This is an important landmark for ASCI in our efforts for protecting the consumers from misleading advertising. Medical Council of India has been very supportive and has advised ASCI to ensure strict action against allopathic doctors who malign the image of medical professionals and violate the Medical Code of Ethics’.

  • Narendra Ambwani is the new chairman of ASCI

    Narendra Ambwani is the new chairman of ASCI

    MUMBAI: At the board meeting of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), Agro Tech Foods director Narendra Ambwani, was unanimously elected chairman of the board.

     

    As a member of the board of governors for seven years, he has provided active support to self-regulation in the advertising movement.

     

    Benoy Roy Chawdhuri, was elected vice-chairman while Shashidhar Sinha was appointed the honorary treasurer.

     

    The other members of the new board of governors are: Hemant Bakshi, Arvind Sharma, Dilip Cherian, SK Palekar, Jayant Singh, Subhash Kamath, Srinivasan Swamy, Rajan Anandan, Shantanu Khosla, Abanti Sankarnarayanan, I Venkat, Arunabh DasSharma and Partha Rakshit.

     

    During the year 2013-14, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) met 41 times and considered complaints against 1937 advertisements. Of these, complaints against 1520 advertisements were upheld, while 414 were not upheld and 3 were considered non-issues.  In more than 90 per cent of the cases, where a complaint against the advertisement was upheld, the advertisements have been voluntarily withdrawn or modified as per the CCC’s decisions.

     

    The outgoing chairman of ASCI Rakshit said, “Last year has been a very eventful and successful year for us. ASCI’s effective action towards reducing the complaint processing turnaround time to just 12 days has led ASCI to win the prestigious EASA Gold Award for Best Practices. There has also been more than 90 per cent compliance towards the advertisements wherein a complaint against an advertisement was ‘upheld’. These advertisements were either withdrawn or have been appropriately modified. In a noteworthy achievement, ASCI issued guidelines on skin lightening and fairness products which ensured that these advertisements do not depict people with dark skin as somehow inferior to those who are fairer. Also recently, government took notice of ASCI’s efforts to curb Teleshopping ads that violate ASCI code and ensured a strict compliance of the advertising code in the Cable Television Networks Act (CTN).”

     

    Ambwani said, “There has been tremendous change in ASCI’s approach towards advertising content and adherence to the ASCI’s guidelines by the advertisers. Earlier, we acted primarily on complaint received from the public or the industry body. In the coming year, we hope to promote ASCI’s guidelines more vigorously among advertisers and creative agencies, so that new ads meet ASCI’s standards at the creative stage itself. We also hope to collaborate strongly with the regulators and consumer groups to ensure fairness and responsibility in advertising”

  • Meeting of expert committee on WIPO early next month

    Meeting of expert committee on WIPO early next month

    NEW DELHI: The first meeting of the expert committee constituted earlier this year for the protection of broadcasting organisation at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) will be held on 2 September.

     

    The aim is to discuss with members from broadcasting organisations and broadcasters to examine and articulate the stand being taken by India.

     

    The meeting will discuss the text of the broadcasting treaty and proposals submitted by India during the 26th SCCR; discussion on the informal proposal submitted by Japan; discussion on the proposal submitted by European Union and discussion on the formats circulated by WlPO secretariat. 

     

    The members of the committee include representatives of all the concerned Ministries, representatives of the News Broadcasters Association and Indian Broadcasting Foundation, the radio industry, the film industry, Prasar Bharati, Amit Shukla who is Director (Copyright) in the Registrar of Copyrights (copyright division) of the Department of Higher Education; BECIL; the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI); Centre for Media Studies (CMS); Community Radio Forum; Community Radio Association; Association of Regional Television Broadcasters of India; School of Legal Studies in Cochin; Cine & TV Artistes Association; the Film Federation of India; the Indian Music Industry and the Film & TV producers Guild of India.

  • Government stops teleshopping advertisements that violate ASCI code

    Government stops teleshopping advertisements that violate ASCI code

    MUMBAI: In a recent development, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) through an advisory has barred broadcasters from airing advertisements that have been found in violation of the Advertising Standards Council of India’s (ASCI) code.

     

    MIB compiled a list of ads that made unsubstantiated claims and violated the provision of code for self-regulation as well as provisions under Drug & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and has now asked broadcasters to ensure strict compliance of the advertising code in the Cable Television Networks Act (CTN).

     

    ASCI chairman Partha Rakshit said, “This is another feather in the cap of ASCI, in its efforts to make advertising more responsible. We were finding that some advertisers on TV channels, especially Tele Shopping Networks, were not complying with the ASCI decisions. We submitted the list to the Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) of the MIB for their consideration. Based on that, IMC observed that any violation of ASCI code also violates the Advertising Code enshrined in the CTN Act and its rules. In short, IMC has directed that advertisements found to violate the ASCI code cannot be carried on TV channels.” 

     

    The advisory sent by MIB states that ‘non-compliance of ASCI’s code of self-regulation is a violation of rule 7 (9) of the Advertising Code contained in the CTN Rules. The CTN code and rules state that ‘no advertisement which violates the code of self-regulation in advertising, as adopted by ASCI for public exhibition in India, from time to time, shall be carried in the cable service’. Therefore, ASCI decisions are not just bound for compliance by advertisers but also by TV channels.’ 

     

     Some of the products in the MIB’s Advisory list  which violated the ASCI code in terms of their advertising and advertisers not complying with the ASCI’s decision to uphold the complaint are Fairpro (Telemart Shoppi Network), Ayurvedic Roopamri Fairness Cream (WWS SkYshoP P), Celebrity Lift (RTC Enterprises), GLO Intense Brightening System (B Lab), Rashi Ratan Topaz Ring (Quick Telemall Marketing), Maha Dhan Lakshmi Yantram Musli Power Xtra (Kunnath Pharmaceuticals), Brain  Smart GTM (Teleshopping), Bhairavi Sadhana- Devishree Foundation Trust, Shaktivardhan Vaccume Therapy, Sandhi Sudha Oil (Telemart Shopping Network), MadhuSanjivani (JMD Teleshopping), Addiction Killer (SK Shopping),  Easy Slim Tea , Maha Dhan Lakshmi Yantram etc.

     

    Earlier this week, ASCI had issued stringent guidelines on advertisements for fairness creams, barring companies from depicting dark-skinned people as inferior to their fairer counterparts and not to depict them as unhappy, unattractive or depressed.

  • MIB warns TV channels to not show ads as found ‘violative’ by ASCI

    MIB warns TV channels to not show ads as found ‘violative’ by ASCI

    MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has come out sharply against ads that have been found ‘violative’ of the rules by Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). In an advisory, the MIB has warned TV channels not to carry such ads.

     

    It states that non-compliance of ASCI’s code of self regulation was a violation of rule 7 (9) of the Advertising Code contained in the Cable Television Network Rules (1994) which states that ‘no advertisement which violates the code of self regulation in advertising, as adopted by ASCI for public exhibition in India, from time to time, shall be carried in the cable service.’ Therefore, the ASCI decisions are not just bound for compliance by advertisers but also by TV channels. Any violation of ASCI rules implies violation of the advertising code enshrined in the CTN Act 1995 and rules 1994.

     

    Also, the Inter- Ministerial Committee (IMC) observed that ASCI has pointed to possible violation of the provision of drug and magic remedies (objectionable advertisements) Act 1954 and rules 1955. Therefore it has recommended that TV channels do not telecast such ads. The recommendation has already been accepted by MIB.

     

    Click here to read the list of violative ads

  • Fairness products can’t show dark skinned people as unattractive or unhappy

    Fairness products can’t show dark skinned people as unattractive or unhappy

    MUMBAI: For all those who are tired of watching fairness cream advertisements and the way they portray people with dark skin, some relief is here. The self-regulatory body for the advertising industry of the country, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released a set of final guidelines for the advertising of skin lightening and fairness products.

    Adding to the earlier draft, after seeking industry and public feedback, ASCI’s new guidelines will ensure that advertisements of skin whitening products do not depict people with dark skin as somehow inferior to fairer people.

    The guidelines that are to be used while creating and assessing advertisements in this category include:

    • Advertising should not communicate any discrimination as a result of skin colour. These ads should not reinforce negative social stereotyping on the basis of skin colour. Specifically, advertising should not directly or implicitly show people with darker skin as unattractive, unhappy, depressed or concerned. These ads should not portray people with darker skin as, at a disadvantage of any kind, or inferior, or unsuccessful in any aspect of life.

    • In the pre-usage depiction of product, special care should be taken to ensure that the expression of the model/s in the real and graphical representation should not be negative in a way which is widely seen as unattractive, unhappy, depressed or concerned.

    • Advertising should not associate darker or lighter colour skin with any particular socio-economic strata, caste, community, religion, profession or ethnicity.

    • Advertising should not perpetuate gender based discrimination because of skin colour.

    Commenting on the new guidelines, ASCI Chairman Partha Rakshit said, “Setting up these new guidelines for the skin lightening and fairness products will help advertisers comply with ASCI code’s Chapter III 1 b which states that advertisements should not deride any race, caste, colour, creed or nationality. Given how widespread the advertising for fairness and skin lightening products is and the concerns of different stakeholders in society, ASCI saw the need to set up specific guidelines for this product category.”

    “As a self-regulating body, it is important to have the advertisers’ buy-in to the guidelines, and we are happy to note that both the industry and the consumer activists’ groups have welcomed these guidelines” he added.

    Currently brands like ‘Fair & Lovely’, ‘Fair & Handsome’, ‘Clean and Clear Fairness Cream’, ‘Olay Natural White’, ‘Lakme Perfect Radiance’, ‘Pond’s White Beauty’, ‘Loreal Paris Pearl Perfect’ etc are advertising for skin lightening products.

  • ASCI upheld 121 complaints against 140 advertisements

    ASCI upheld 121 complaints against 140 advertisements

    MUMBAI: In May 2014, Advertising Standard Council of India’s (ASCI) Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 121 out of 140 advertisements. Health & personal care category continued to lead with the highest number of complaints received in the month.

     

    The CCC found the claims in health and personal care product or service ads of 66 advertisers, released in the print/TVC to be either misleading or false or not adequately/scientifically substantiated and hence violating ASCI’s code. Some of the health care products or services ads also contravened provisions of the Drug & Magic Remedies Act.

     

    Some of the complaints upheld included Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare India’s Dettol Soap advertisement’s which claims that ‘Only Dettol gives 10x more protection against germs’ was misleading as the advertiser’s product with germicidal actives was compared against products without germicidal actives. Dettol being the “only” effective product was not substantiated by comparison with other products in the market with germicidal actives. Marico’s advertisement of Nihar Naturals Shanti Amla hair oil claiming that it is enriched with 500 per cent vitamin E was misleading as the comparison was being made with a product marketed in 2010. Hindustan Unilever’s TVC of Fair & Lovely suggests that fairness is essential for a girl to match a boy in status or essential when a girl is to get married or grow up in hierarchy at work place.

     

    The second category in which CCC found claims in print ads by 39 different advertisers were not substantiated and thus, violated ASCI Guidelines for Advertising of Educational Institutions was education. Hence, the complaints against these ads were upheld. For example,   IIT Kalrashukla advertisement claims that ‘with Kalrashukla you get into IIT or get your fees back. If you don’t make it, we return the fees, no questions asked’. Institute of Rural Management advertisement claims that it is ‘Ranked A++ among the Top Business Schools in India’, ‘3rd among Top Sectoral B-Schools of India- Competition Success Review’,  ‘rated at level A2- Business Standard’ ‘7th among Best Sectoral B-Schools- The Outlook’, ‘ranked A+ among Best B-Schools- Dalal Street Journal’,  ‘exceptional 100 per cent Placement with renowned corporate.’

     

    As per the complaint “The advertisement of Dominos Pizza shows two roommates use a third roommate’s credit card to order a pizza without his permission.  This is spreading an unacceptable message to youngsters to use someone else’s credit card without their permission.” The CCC viewed the TVC and considered the advertiser’s response.  The CCC concluded that TVC depicts credit card of one individual being used by another without his permission contravenes Chapter III.4 of the ASCI code. This complaint was upheld in the food & beverages category.

     

    In the entertainment category, Sarthak Entertainment’s (Sarthak TV) advertisement claims to be number one Odia channel. But in fact it is positioned at number two. There is no mention of the source or criteria based on which the channel has claimed this position. In the absence of comments from the advertiser, the CCC concluded that the claim ‘No.1 Odia channel’ was not substantiated and the source of this data was not provided. The complaint was upheld.  

     

    Click here to read the full report

  • Will work closely with IBF and ISA to meet BARC deadlines: Ambi

    Will work closely with IBF and ISA to meet BARC deadlines: Ambi

    An advertising person constantly strives to connect market research data to insights to come up with a winning campaign and who better to understand it than MG Parameswaran aka Ambi. The brain behind the transformation of Ulka Advertising into Draftfcb Ulka Group (now FCB Ulka), the former IIT-ian with a sharp wit and a way with words knows his subject at the back of his hand.

     

    The man, who has seven books to his credit in which he has penned down insights from his 35 year long working career in advertising, is the new president of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).

     

    The newly elected executive council will meet in next 10 days and as he takes charge for the year 2014-2015, Indiantelevision.com’s Meghna Sharma speaks to him on the key focus areas, awards and much more…

     

    Excerpts…

     

    What are the five things you will focus on as the new AAAI president?

     

    The new elected executive council will meet to deliberate on what should be the key initiatives, but from the top of my head, I think we need to move on the following points with speed:

     

    – AAAI will literally move to its new office in the next six months; this is a spacious office located mid-town. We will create facilities for our member agencies to use (for outstation agency members it can be a big boon).

     

    – AAAI will endeavour to work closely with IBF and ISA to ensure that the BARC deadlines are met and we have a world-class television measurement system in place soon.

     

    – AAAI will try to help member agencies face the challenges of the future; targeted seminars and workshop on the business of advertising will be a priority going forward; but first we will ascertain the demand for such programs.

     

    – Talent development at the grassroot level will be a priority; we will see if we can leverage the online medium to help reach top class training to smaller cities and towns of our country.

     

    – AAAI has played a vital role in the development of sister organisations; we will endeavour to build strong bridges to all the other industry organisations including ISA, IBF, INS, Ad Club, IAA, IMAI, Outdoor Association, Radio Association, Cinema Association etc.

     

    To sum it up, we will ensure that AAAI serves the purpose of all its member agencies, big and small, in big cities and in small cities and help them stay vibrant and profitable, play a more meaningful role in helping their clients and the society at large.

     

    In the next year, what will be the focus area – seminars or awards – for the organisation?

     

    Awards were never the be-all and end-all of the AAAI. Unfortunately, that gets the maximum media coverage. Many things that AAAI does, like helping member agencies collect outstanding amounts from clients or helping media organisations collect their rightful dues are not as exciting to write and read about. Further, many of these are really in the private domain. AAAI is an industry body set up the help ad agencies do their business better, serve clients better and do well. Towards this end AAAI has held workshops, created forums and also hosted award shows. We will continue to do all that.

     

    In the recent past, many objections have been raised regarding obscenity in advertisements. Do you think there is a need for stricter rules?

     

     All ads have to follow the norms laid down by society. AAAI was one of the founding partners of ASCI and I think ASCI, in the last few years has made its process a lot more efficient and effective. All the big advertisers have signed off that ASCI will have the last word. Similarly all media organisations have agreed to abide by the ASCI rulings.

     

    Obscenity can come at you from any category, undergarments, perfumes etc. If readers feel any specific ad needs to be pulled off they should complain to ASCI. The process is well laid out on its website.

     

     Having said that, let me reiterate, an ad has to be measured against what is prevalent in society at large. At one time no Hindi movie showed a man and a woman kissing. That has become a norm today, and some heroes / heroines are vying to set new records. The society is also changing rapidly enabled by the rampant spread of digital medium. So our standards for measuring ads should also become more flexible. What was obscene 10 years ago may not be seen as obscene today. One needs to factor in the variable that consumers are not morons; they do see ads with a tinted pair of spectacles, especially ads that promise miraculous results, like deos.

     

    Finally, it is ASCI’s turf to decide what they think is permissible and what is not.

     

    Also, how do you plan to get back the lost glory of Indian awards?

     

    Awards play a useful purpose to motivate young people to stay engaged in the advertising industry. There is nothing to beat the joy of receiving an award in front of your industry peers. AAAI will work closely with Ad Club to ensure that we have a transparent mechanism in the jury process. Efforts will be made to ensure all the key agencies participate in the Awards. Please remember the Abby Awards belongs to Ad Club and has a wonderful history backing it. That will not be allowed to fade away.