ASCI upholds complaints against 15 advertisements

In its September report, the Consumer Complaints Council received a total of 22 complaints, most of which were against advertisements pertaining to education, healthcare and FMCG.

The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has upheld complaints against 15 of 22 advertisements for misleading claims and promises in September. ASCI credited the effective tracking of misleading advertisements to National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS). Not surprisingly, advertisements from education, healthcare and FMCG reigned in the complaint list.

In September, some of the brands against whom the complaints were upheld included Hindustan Unilever, Ultratech India, Panasonic India, Rejuvenation Centre, Speedwings Aviation Academy, Poddar Group of Institutions, Jaypee Infratech, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Madhuraj Hospital, Regency Hospital and Dr Wilmar Schwabe India. Interestingly, Hindustan Unilever's two products, Pepsodent Expert Protection toothpaste and Dove Hair Fall Rescue Treatment found mention in the upheld list.

In the case of the toothpaste brand, the council found its claim in the television commercial 'for effective cleaning in between teeth, we should use dental floss' gave a wrong message about the toothpaste replacing the role of dental floss. The complaint against Dove Hair fall Rescue Treatment was for unsubstantiated claims - '78 per cent hair fall roots se hota hai'; 'Naya Dove Hair Fall Rescue Treatment - yeh balon ko nourish karein'; 'helps lock my hair to the roots, only in two weeks, gives freedom from hair fall worries'.

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals was found guilty of its claim 'the vaccine is the only way to reduce the incidence of infection and the fact that techniques like hand washing do not help'.