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  • Majority of ads are replete with gender stereotypes, shows new Asci study

    Majority of ads are replete with gender stereotypes, shows new Asci study

    Mumbai: Majority of the advertisements shown across media channels are replete with problematic and stereotypical depictions of gender, shows the latest study of over six hundred advertisements conducted by the Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) in association with Futurebrands.

    There are ads, which sensualise the act of eating by women, while others show them working around the house as other family members lounge around, or probably show male celebrities challenging and instructing women. “While there are some positive moves, mainstream advertising still heavily borrows from an inventory of overused, and sometimes harmful stereotypical tropes,” said lead author of GenderNext, Lipika Kumaran.

    “Advertising has historically been a significant source for the propagation of gender stereotypes. While things are changing, what this study uncovers, is that gender continues to be represented in a skewed and discriminatory manner. Some obvious ways of stereotypes are less visible, but there are many other ways, both subtle and not-so-subtle, in which gender portrayals continue to be skewed,” said Futurebrands Consulting MD Santosh Desai.

    Experts studied patterns of portrayals across multiple categories, such as personal care, fashion, beauty, home and hearth, gadgets and wheels, money, and education. The study touches upon how advertising portrays women versus how they see themselves and want to be seen. Women interviewed across different life stages and town classes pointed out that it is not ‘them’ but others in their sphere who lag behind and are the ones in need of empowerment. They feel that advertising can be their ally in this journey.

    The study found that common stereotypes used in advertising such as women joyfully undertaking the drudgery of work was not aspirational at all for young unmarried women. Typical Women’s day ads that show women emerge victorious after significant struggle were not considered particularly empowering. Women are tired of ads showing young women being bestowed with freedoms only after putting up a fight.

    “GenderNext acts as a guide for stakeholders – brand owners, marketers, advertising professionals – to aid the creation of more progressive depictions of women in advertising,” said ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath. “The deep insights on women, and what they feel about advertising is a fantastic input into advertising creation, and we hope that brands and advertisers will be motivated by the findings to depict women in more progressive ways. We also intend to set up a task force to evaluate advertising guidelines on harmful stereotypes.”

    The study identifies some common patterns of discrimination and creates a framework that enables marketers to identify and eliminate such undesirable representations. The study proposes a category agnostic framework “The SEA (Self-Esteemed-Empowered-Allied) Framework” that aims to guide stakeholders in imagining as well as evaluating portrayals of women in their advertising by building empathy and aiding evaluation. It also proposes a 3S screener for scripts/storyboards, casting, styling to identify stereotype red flags: subordination, service, and standardisation.

    Calling it a continuing conversation, ASCI secretary-general Manisha Kapoor said that the report is only the first of the many initiatives ASCI will put together in this space.

    The study was sponsored by Rio Pads as the principal sponsor; co-sponsors included Vivel, Eureka Forbes Ltd, Kellogg’s, Colgate-Palmolive, Diageo India, Mondelez India Foods Pvt Ltd, and Procter & Gamble Home Products Pvt Ltd; while Kotak Silk and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd were onboarded as associate sponsors.

    “We are privileged to participate in this seminal study on our culture’s perspective on femininity and womanhood,” said Nobel Hygiene Pvt Ltd (makers of Rio pads) VP of marketing and commerce Kartik Johari. “Advertising has the responsibility to take the lead on cultural conversations and to affect change. With this study, we hope to really create a guideline for lasting change which advertisers can use to authentically represent women across communication, and hopefully, with it, start a national conversation around equality and humanity.”

    For the study, the primary research involved ad clinics with 160 respondents and 20 focus group discussions across 10 centres, in addition to tapping into Futurebrand’s proprietary study Bharat Darshan, stated the industry body. More than 300 people were spoken to via social media, and all stakeholders such as national and regional advertisers, agency and creative heads, agender domain experts, policymakers, and advocacy groups were consulted as part of the study enquiry, the agency said.

  • Battle of the boxers: ASCI dismisses Amul Macho’s complaint against Lux Cozi

    Battle of the boxers: ASCI dismisses Amul Macho’s complaint against Lux Cozi

    Mumbai: Lux Cozi has won the legal battle against Amul Macho regarding its latest advertisement starring actor Varun Dhawan. In a significant ruling, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has overruled the complaint filed by the rival innerwear brand stating that there was no similarity between the two ads in terms of concept and executional elements.

    Earlier this month, Amul Macho had alleged that Lux Cozi had “blatantly copied” its ‘Toing’ ad from 2007 and subsequently approached Asci to intervene. However, after inspection, the industry watchdog observed that there was no resemblance in the two advertisements. Asci dismissed Amul Macho’s accusation of plagiarism against Lux Cozi as ‘baseless’.

    According to the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC), the Lux Cozi’s ad is not at all similar to Amul Macho’s earlier TVC in general layout, copy, slogans, visual presentations, music, or sound effects, so as to suggest plagiarism. The CCC further concluded that Lux’s advertisement was not in contravention of chapter four of the ASCI Code related to fairness in competition and rejected Amul Macho’s complaint.

    According to a statement issued by Lux Industries, the win reiterates Lux’s brand equity over baseless claims by Amul Macho.

    Lux industries executive director Saket Todi said the Lux Cozi advertisement is unique on individual points as well as in totality, and any semblance is fleeting and only in respect of elements commonly used in the trade, such as shape and colour of the garment. “It is now an established fact that the advertisement bears no similarity whatsoever. The complainant’s advertisement was last aired in 2007, and thereafter, banned. No reputation, goodwill, or brand equity can be vested in publicity/marketing material that has been banned to the public for the last 14 years. We respect the verdict by Asci,” he added.

  • ASCI launches ‘Advertising Advice’ service to help brands track potential violations in ads

    ASCI launches ‘Advertising Advice’ service to help brands track potential violations in ads

    Mumbai: In order to aid responsible advertising practices and help brands be more mindful of the claims they make in their campaigns, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has launched an “Advertising Advice” service. The paid service is open to all members and non-members of ASCI, the advertising industry body announced on Wednesday.

    It will point out to advertisers and marketers at the campaign planning stage, if their claims could potentially violate any ASCI code or guideline. This will help them to take corrective action at the pre-production phase and will guide them to substantiate the claim and align the creative, basis the ASCI code, the self-regulatory body said in a statement.

    For the advertisers, it provides confidential quick expertise to help them make more responsible advertising.  Advertisers will be able to modify claims and depictions at the pre-production stage itself, thus saving them effort, money as well as possible loss of reputation once the advertisement is already in the marketplace. The service aims to help advertisers balance creativity with responsibility and is being offered in line with best global practices followed by different self-regulatory organizations, ASCI said.

    The Advertising Advice panel will also include technical experts in different specialties who can examine the claim and evidence for technical claim support. It is important to note that this non-binding service is not intended to be a pre-clearance, and advertisers may use the advice to better their ads in a manner they deem fit, said ASCI.

    “As ASCI steps into its next phase, the Advertising Advice service will be a crucial element in the cause of self-regulation. The service gives brands a chance to better prepare their campaigns and mitigate reputational risks,” said ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath. “While there is no guarantee that consumers will not raise a claim against a brand, the advisory does help brands take steps to ensure that their campaigns don’t violate any norms formulated to protect consumer interest. We believe that this advisory service will provide the necessary support to the advertising ecosystem to create more responsible ads without affecting creativity.”

    ASCI secretary-general Manisha Kapoor said: “The advisory can be used by brands to great effect while planning their campaigns. Brands wish to be competitive and push the boundaries of claims. With this service, we can support advertisers to make strong claims while not crossing the all-important lines of honesty, decency, fairness and safety.”

    Kapoor further added that external scrutiny by experts at the pre-production stage can add tremendous value to campaign development, as post release of the campaign, any stoppage can cause significant disruption and cost for an organization. “But by making this a part of the way advertisers think of campaigns at an early stage, such risks can be mitigated. We see this as a win-win for advertisers and consumers, who then get exposed to fewer problematic ads,” she said.

    The names of technical experts on the advisory panel include Prof Jayesh Bellare (chemical, FMCG), Prof Smita Lele (food and nutrition), Dr Punit Saraogi (dermatology), Dr Rohinton Bilimoria (dentistry) and Dr. D.B. A. Narayana (Ayurveda), shared ASCI.

  • Amul Macho wages war against Lux Cozi in a ‘battle of the boxers’

    Amul Macho wages war against Lux Cozi in a ‘battle of the boxers’

    Mumbai: In what can be termed as a ‘battle of the boxers’, men’s innerwear brand Amul Macho has alleged that another Indian brand of men’s innerwear, Lux Cozi has “blatantly copied” its Amul Macho ‘Toing’ ad from 2007. J G Hosiery Pvt Ltd, the makers of Macho Innerwear, has complained to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) regarding what it calls “blatant plagiarism”.

    According to Amul Macho, the recently released Lux Cozi ad, featuring actor Varun Dhawan, that is currently being aired on various news channels and on Sony TV, appears to take more than just inspiration from the popular Amul Macho ad with the tagline “Ye To Bada Toing Hai”.

    “We find it shocking that a worthy and esteemed competitor appears to want to ride on the creative success of a brand that’s a market leader in its category, by blatantly copying its popular ad concept and executional elements. We hope good reason will prevail and the copied ad will be withdrawn forthwith,” said JG Hosiery Pvt Ltd, CEO, Navin Seksaria.

    The company finds the premise of the ad by Lux Cozi to be identical to the Amul Macho Toing ad and the storyline of the Lux Cozi ad to be strikingly similar to their own creative asset.

    “It’s a matter of deep concern to J G Hosiery that the woman in the Lux Cozi ad holds up the Lux Cozi underwear to show that her man wears Lux Cozi, implying that Varun Dhawan should stay away, in a similar manner to how it was held up by Sana Khan in the Amul Macho Toing ad,” stated Madison Communications on behalf of Amul Macho in a note to the press. “Amul Innerwear team takes the matter of their creative asset being copied very seriously, believing that the visual similarity of the two ads cannot be a mere coincidence. Both women in the two respective ads hold up the underwear to make a statement about the fact that, ‘My man wears this’.”

    Amul Macho further noted that the similarity between the two ads does not end there but has so many common executional elements that JG Hosiery has felt compelled to “call out the copy-cat work and point out what appears to be an opportunistic brand building attempt by Lux Cozi.”

    The various executional elements of the Lux Cozi ad film that Amul Macho has taken objection to, include the colour and shape of the underwear used in the former’s ad, the way the woman holds up the object of contention and even the specific expressions of the supporting cast when they see the product in question, apart from the music theme and the setting of the film.

    It further alleged that the Lux Cozi ad unfairly tries to take advantage of the brand equity, reputation and goodwill generated by the Amul Macho toing ad, by copying both the concept and executional elements of the brand’s popular ad film and must therefore be restrained from being aired.

    Under the fourth chapter related to fairness in competition, the ACSI code states that: “Advertisements shall not be similar to any other advertiser’s earlier run advertisements in general layout, copy, slogans, visual presentations, music or sound effects, so as to suggest plagiarism.”

    “While the ASCI code allows competitive advertising including naming a competitor so long as the comparison is fair, plagiarism is making use of someone else’s goodwill or effort for your own benefit, which is a violation of the ASCI code,” ASCI general secretary Manisha Kapoor told IndianTelevision.com, adding that, “A complaint that comes to us will need to be examined more specifically with regards to its elements, and taken through the due process to determine if plagiarism is suggested.”

    With regards to this latest complaint of plagiarism, Kapoor stated that any complaint processed by ASCI allows for both the complainant and advertiser views to be tabled, and only after taking into account all the evidence presented, the consumer complaints council will make a recommendation.

    Meanwhile, Lux has refuted the allegations made by its competitor. “Our TVC is based on an original idea and conceptualised by our creative agency and is not inspired or motivated by any borrowed ideas,” a Lux Industries spokesperson told ET Brand Equity, further adding, “We feel that the competition is feeling threatened by the success of our TVC and is levelling baseless allegations.”

    Yellow Beetle, the agency behind the ad’s concept represented by Daven Munjal, stated, “We wanted to give a new dimension to the Lux Cozi communication, we conceptualised the commercial with the clear aim to target the youth, the commercial has freshness and has the flavour of naughtiness and tongue in cheek communication.”

  • Google’s Aditya Swamy, FB’s Sandeep Bhushan join ASCI board

    Google’s Aditya Swamy, FB’s Sandeep Bhushan join ASCI board

    Mumbai: Director of Google India, Aditya Swamy has joined the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) board and Facebook India head of global marketing solutions, Sandeep Bhushan will be a special invitee to the board, announced ASCI on Friday. 

    As the advertising self-regulatory body shapes the narrative of Indian advertising in a post-COVID world, representation from two of the world’s largest digital companies on its top decision-making body is a landmark step.

    The wealth of experience and insights Swamy and Bhushan bring to the table will not only help the self-regulator formulate better policies and guidelines for the advertising industry, but it will also enable a better understanding of new challenges and their solutions, the organisation said in a statement. “As ASCI works to ensure the protection of consumer interests, along with those of other stakeholders like brands and agencies, having Google and Facebook on the board will help it to sharpen its ability to implement its guidelines as well,” it added.

    Swamy and Bhushan’s appointments strengthen ASCI’s refreshed vision for the future, which reflects in the recent launch of its new logo. The appointments also mark ASCI’s fast-widening focus on digital advertising and platforms, which began last year with a partnership with TAM to monitor 3,000 digital platforms for misleading marketing claims, as well as the launch of the Influencer guidelines and influencer monitoring through an AI platform.

    ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath said, “I am delighted to welcome both Aditya and Sandeep to the board, this is a landmark moment. As we strengthen our roots in the digital space and streamline its functioning, it is extremely important that we collaborate with and learn from the leaders. Google and Facebook are the biggest digital players. We look forward to them helping us become a better conscience keeper of the industry.”

    ASCI, secretary-general, Manisha Kapoor said, “Having Google and Facebook on our board is a great start to the new journey ASCI is embarking upon. It is vital for us to have a keen understanding of digital operations. We will benefit greatly from the expertise that both these companies bring with them.”

    As advertisers’ focus shifts from traditional media to digital spaces, ASCI is ensuring that it stays ahead of the curve and streamlines the shift. 

  • 89.5% influencers witness a dip in engagement post ASCI guidelines: IPLIX survey

    89.5% influencers witness a dip in engagement post ASCI guidelines: IPLIX survey

    Mumbai: Influencer marketing and talent management agency, IPLIX Media has released insights from an independent survey on influencer sentiment post-release of ASCI guidelines 2021. According to the survey, nearly 89.5 per cent of influencers witnessed a dip in engagement on their content since ASCI guidelines went live. However, over 56.7 per cent of respondents (influencers) said that they found the ASCI guidelines to be helpful, while 35.3 per cent admitted that it needs more structure and transparency. 43.3 per cent of influencers were unsure about the penalties or the repercussions they may face for not adhering to the guidelines further indicating the need for more clarity.

    The pan India survey included metros and tier 1, 2, and 3 cities across 200+ influencers.

    When it comes to content format, in 2020, both long-format and short-format garnered engagement for creators with the latter slowly taking lead. In terms of content categories – Fashion & Beauty (54.2 per cent), Comedy (20.9 per cent) & Travel (18.9 per cent) are the top three categories of the respondents. The majority of these influencers are creating somewhere between 20-40 per cent of branded content.

    On the survey that drove insights from micro, macro, and nano influencers across the country, IPLIX Media LLP co-founder Neel Gogia said, “ASCI guidelines are a welcome step forward in introducing transparency and authenticity across the content creation ecosystem. However, there were certain aspects on which more clarity was required. The insights from the survey clearly reveal demand for a structured approach to put this into motion and a better understanding of the penalties.”

    When it came to brand associations, 34.3 per cent of influencers rated ‘relevance’ at the top with consistency closely following behind. With a more aware audience set, content creators are generating the content, even branded, that sticks, builds loyalty, and represents their true self. Before the ASCI mandate, 48.3 per cent of influencers revealed that only 10 per cent of brands they worked with opted to tag content as sponsored.

    Social satirist Saloni Gaur said that the audience these days is smart enough to figure out what’s sponsored and what’s not even before adding a paid partnership tag. “I agree with the fact that ASCI guidelines are still not clear to many of us. But, from an audience’s point of view, it’s a good step and definitely adds more transparency,” Gaur said.

    “As for the revenue part, I certainly thought that some brands would not undertake associations because they don’t want the paid partnership tag on our posts, but I’m glad to say they have adapted really well to these guidelines. In addition to this, I also thought that this will reduce the engagement significantly as people tend to leave the video as soon as they hear any brand name, but this hasn’t been the case for me,” she added.

    BB Ki Vines- manager & partner Rohit Raj said, “I believe that guidelines are necessary to bring in more structure to the content creation and monetisation ecosystem. However, having worked with some of the top creators in the industry, I believe that we need to approach this in phases. This will help iron out the creases and create a more holistic approach.”

  • Covid-fueled ad claims lead over 6149 complaints in FY 20-21: ASCI

    Covid-fueled ad claims lead over 6149 complaints in FY 20-21: ASCI

    Mumbai: While FY 2020-21 was a rough one for the advertising industry because of the turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers too were vulnerable to the, sometimes far-fetched, claims made by brands. In this scenario, the role played by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) in protecting consumer interests was vital. 

    In all, 332-covid related ads were picked up by ASCI through consumer complaints as well as its own monitoring, of which only 12 ads were actually able to substantiate the claims they made, as per the latest annual complaints report released by the self-regulatory body. These advertisements belonged to categories across the board such as paints, apparel, detergents, skincare, ACs, fans, water purifiers, plywood and laminates, supplements, and food- all promising Covid related benefits.

    Besides Covid complaints, the ASCI Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) also processed 1406 complaints in the education sector, 285 complaints against food and beverage advertisements, and 147 complaints related to personal care. In addition, 364 advertisements were found to be, prima facie, in violation of The Drugs and Magic Remedies Act.

    From the first quarter itself of the pandemic, following a directive from the Ministry of AYUSH asking for ASCI to identify advertisements that violated its advisory dated 1 April 2020, the advertising body escalated 237 objectionable ads. While 164 ads complied and modified the untrue claims, 73 covid-related ads needed further investigation and action by the Ministry due to non-compliance.

    The self-regulatory body’s independent Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) convened 37 times during the year, and ASCI achieved a 97 per cent compliance rate from advertisers on its recommendations, scoring a strong point for the efficacy of self-regulation, said the report.

    In September 2020, ASCI tied up with TAM to monitor 3,000 digital platforms. Since then, it has observed a rise in complaints related to online ads, both received from end consumers, as well as taken up suo motu. 35 per cent of the advertisements looked into by the CCC were from the digital medium.

    ASCI’s expert panel that comprises highly seasoned microbiologists were kept busy examining Covid related evidence provided by advertisers, said the report. Given the rampant exploitation of vulnerable consumers in the pandemic situation, the industry watchdog issued a Covid advisory in October 2020, giving advertisers a clear directive to fully substantiate their Covid related claims through recognized testing facilities. 

    The pandemic year also saw a massive jump in online gaming activities and concerned with the unabated rise of online real money gaming advertisements which did not explain risks to consumers in a transparent way, ASCI developed guidelines for the sector. ASCI processed 67 complaints related to online real money gaming from Jan-March 2021.

    Its initiatives and guidelines helped brands, agencies, and other stakeholders cope with a changing marketing paradigm and shape the industry’s narrative in one of its toughest phases ever.

    ASCI secretary-general Manisha Kapoor said, “In a period where consumer vulnerabilities were at an all-time high, many brands took unfair advantage of this, and tried to peddle their wares without establishing any robust evidence of their actual utility against the SARS Cov-2 virus. ASCI has worked hard to weed out such advertisements by using very stringent standards of evidence. Brands that offer proven benefits to consumers have a genuine role in the pandemic, but unfortunately, most of the Covid-related advertising fell woefully short. Most advertisers were unable to prove that the products actually worked to help consumers in a real way as claimed in the ads.”

    ASCI also launched the Trust in Advertising report in partnership with Nielsen IQ and the Indian Society of Advertisers, and the ‘Chup Na Baitho’ awareness campaign for consumers, encouraging them to report objectionable claims in advertising.

    In addition, ASCI recently released detailed guidelines for influencer advertising. These guidelines make it mandatory for influencers and brands to specify what content is promotional in nature. Influencer marketing is mainstream now and the guidelines, that were the need of the hour, were welcomed by all stakeholders and are being implemented.

  • ASCI, FSSAI join hands to curb misleading claims in F&B ads

    ASCI, FSSAI join hands to curb misleading claims in F&B ads

    Mumbai: In order to curb the spike in the number of misleading claims made in food and beverage (F&B) ads seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has signed an agreement with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to safeguard consumers against such advertisements.

    The agreement was signed in the presence of FSSAI CEO Arun Singhal and ASCI adviser- public affairs professor Bejon Misra on 1 July. As per the agreement, ASCI will identify advertisements that prima facie violate provisions of Food Safety and Standards (advertising and claims) Regulations, 2018, and FSSAI would further investigate these. Under the agreement, ASCI will set up a three-member expert panel to evaluate F&B advertising identified by the ASCI monitoring team.

    In the last financial year (FY) ASCI has processed a total number of 284 complaints compared to 175 in FY 2019-20. So, claims by F&B brands, particularly those related to health and nutrition, are under greater scrutiny. With this association, ASCI further strengthens its 360-degree approach of protecting consumers as well as guiding brands, agencies, and influencers towards greater responsibility. As per a report published by media agency Zenith, India will be the fastest-growing market for FMCG brands’ F&B advertising over the next three years with spending rising 14 per cent a year. This further necessitates the monitoring of F&B advertisements.
    ASCI secretary-general Manisha Kapoor said, “With this agreement, ASCI will intensify its scrutiny of the F&B sector. We will tap our National Advertising Monitoring Service, which monitors over 900 TV channels and publications, and over 3,000 websites. Besides national brands, we will examine regional and local ones. Our experts, with decades of experience in the F&B sector, will shortlist those advertisements that require further scrutiny by FSSAI.”

    ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath said, “This is a significant collaboration. The common goal of consumer protection drives us all to share skills, expertise, and resources in the most effective way to curb the menace of misleading advertising.”

  • Complaints against 789 ads upheld in Jan-March period: ASCI

    MUMBAI: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) processed 1,064 complaints against advertisements in the January-March quarter. Of these, 200 ads were withdrawn by advertisers on receiving intimation from the industry body. Of the remaining 862 that required further investigation, the self-regulatory body’s independent Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 789 advertisements.

     

    Education remains on top of the category of violations leaderboard with 337 cases, followed by healthcare with 250 cases, as per the latest complaints report released by ASCI for Q1 2021. A large number of complaints were also processed from the online gaming, food and beverages, and electronics & durables categories this quarter.

     

    The maximum number of complaints processed- 337 –from the education sector- were related to misleading claims where students were promised 100 per cent placements or of the advertiser claiming to be India’s top-ranked college/ institute.

     

    Expectedly, in healthcare, the majority of the 250 complaints against ads were mostly about fake claims of COVID cures or prevention.

     

    To make the online gaming space safer, the industry body had introduced guidelines for the e-gaming segment for Real Money Winnings last December. Subsequently, ASCI received 61 complaints mostly related to cricket gaming and rummy, including those against established brands.

     

    There were 47 complaints processed against food and beverage ads, many of them against claims around milk, milk products, bread, green tea, fish oil, as well as edible oils like sunflower.

     

    In the electronics, durable, and construction category, ASCI processed 32 complaints against ads across a range of brands, from air-conditioners to paints. The automotive category received 14 complaints, many of them related to two-wheelers as well as e-rickshaw advertisements.

     

    Complaints against 73 advertisements were not upheld as they were found to be adhering to the ASCI code.

     

    Consumer vigilance around gaming has increased after the release of related guidelines, noted ASCI secretary-general, Manisha Kapoor.

    “ASCI is working on more initiatives to ensure that advertising remains honest and decent and that consumers’ confidence in advertising is sustained. We also aim to raise consumer awareness to motivate them to report misleading claims. This would help safeguard their interests and encourage ethical advertising that benefits not just consumers but also honest advertisers”, Kapoor added.