ASCI Update: Complaints against 114 out of 193 ads upheld in August 2017

51 ads were from healthcare category, followed by 31 ads from education category.

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self-regulatory body that propagates responsible advertising, has released a report of the complaints it received and upheld in the month of August 2017.

The ASCI's Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) received complaints against 193 ads; complaints against 114 ads were upheld. Of these, 51 ads were from the healthcare category, followed by 31 ads from education category; 17 in food and beverages category, five ads were from the personal care category and 10 ads were upheld in the others category.

ASCI processed complaints against the following advertisements from the general public, industry as well as from the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements (GAMA) Portal. Out of 93 advertisements, complaints against 52 advertisements were upheld.

Direct Complaints

ASCI processed complaints against the following advertisements from the general public, industry as well as from the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements (GAMA) Portal. Out of 93 advertisements, complaints against 52 advertisements were upheld.

Complaints against brands which were upheld in the healthcare segment for false, misleading, and unsubstantiated claims, and hence, violated the ASCI's code include SBS Biotech (Unit-II) Ayurvedic Division (PetSaffa), Diabetacare (Dried Blackberries 100 per cent organic), Flipbald, Kusum Homeopathic Clinic (Dr Kamal Garg), Jagat Pharma (Isotine Ayurvedic Eye Drops), Dr Natasha Ayurvedic Doctor (Ayurved Tablet Kavish Vati), (Permanent Course Kavish Majun) and (Kavish Permanent Penis Tight Cream), Dr Navneet Agarwal, Dr. Ayyub Hasan (Maarshal Medical Center), Dr. Roy health solutions clinic (Dr. Sitesh Roy), Strides Consumer (Nixit nicotine lozenges), Goodlife Wellness (Slim at home), Wellness Water Point and Gas Services, Sheth Brothers (Komla Gutika), Waghanna Vaidyakiya Seva and Lifezen Healthcare.

Education brands pulled up for violating ASCI guidelines for Advertising of Educational Institutions were AIM Bhopal, CL Educate, Vedavyasa Trust (Vedavyasa Institute of Technology), Amity University and Nachiketa Higher Secondary School.

Kelloggs India (Kelloggs Special K), Yum! Restaurants (India) (Pizza Hut), G. D. Foods MFG. (India) (Tops Strawberry Jam), (Tops Pineapple Jam), (Tops Orange Marmalade), (Tops Mango Jam), (Tops Tomato No Onion No Garlic Ketchup), (Tops Zingy Snack Sauce), (Tops Sweet & Sour Sauce), (Tops Classic Sauce) and (Tops Continental Sauce), Heinz India (Complan), Trophic Wellness (Nutricharge S & F) and (Nutricharge BJ) and Agro Global Resources (Wagga Wagga Diabetes Care), were the food and beverage brands that came under the ASCI scanner for violation of advertising guidelines

The personal care brands that have come under the ASCI scanner for violation of advertising guidelines include Olivia Health Care (Olivia Herb Bleach), Hindustan Unilever (Dove Hair fall Shampoo) and (Fair and lovely Anti Marks Treatment).

Other brands which were pulled up for objectionable ads due to false and/or misleading claims include Dainik Bhaskar Group (Dainik Bhaskar Newspaper), Carrier Midea India (Midea Water Purifiers), Alphathum Project Housing, Scot Apparels (Scotlane), Haier Appliances India (Haier refrigerator), Bharti Airtel, Guru Maa Janki Devi, Lucky Mycro Fine Appliances (Mycro Fine Atta Maker), Amazon.com, Inc. (Parachute Advanced Coconut Hair Oil) and Dabur India Limited - Dabur Odomos.

SUO MOTO ACTION

The advertisements given below were picked up through ASCI’s Suo Moto surveillance of print and TV media via National Advertisement Monitoring Services (NAMS) project. Out of 100 advertisements, total of 62 advertisements were considered to be misleading. Of these 32 advertisements against Healthcare, 26 belonged to the Education category, two belonged to the Personal category, and two belonged to Food & Beverage category.

Health care:-

The CCC found the following claims of 32 advertisements in health care products or services 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 advertisements also contravened provisions of the Drugs & Magic Remedies Act (DMR Act), Drugs and Cosmetics Rules (D&C Rules) and Chapter I.1 and III.4 of the ASCI Code. Complaints against the following advertisements were Upheld.

Dr Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury (Indo Vietnam Medical Board - Virtual-72 Hrs Diabetes Reversal Program), 34 Heart Care, Qi Lifecare (Qi Spine Clinic), Dr. Richa’s Unique Clinic, Surya Amrit Jivan, Ganga Ayurvedic Clinic, Pushpa Clinic, Baba Haridas Ayurveda (Night Gold Tablets), Sri Karpagam Herbals, Gaharwar Pharma Products (P.V. Tone Oil and Capsule), Dindayal Industries (303 Capsule) and (303 Gold Power Oil), Apna Ayurveda (Apna Ayurveda Products), Rajnish Hot Deals (Kasaav Dusting Powder), (Playwin Plus Capsule), (Playwin Capsule) and (Play Win Oil and Capsule), Chaturbhuj Pharmaceutical Company (Japani Oil), Shree Maruti Herbal (Stay-On Power Oil), (Stay-On Capsule and Oil), (Stay-On Oral Liquid) and (Stay-On Power Capsules), Punarnava Ayurvedic (Thyrodon Ghan), Sri Bhagwan Mahavir Heart Centre, Sardar Ji Skin Cure, Innovative Cure Health and Beauty Clinic, Chahal Clinic, Star Dental Centre and MSR India.

Education:-

The CCC found following claims in the advertisements by 26 different advertisers were not substantiated and, thus, violated ASCI Guidelines for Advertising of Educational Institutions. Hence complaints against these advertisements were Upheld.

IBA (Indus Business Academy), Alhind Group (Alhind Academy), Bansal Learning, (Bansal IIT/JEE Medical Foundation), Murugesan Institute of Technology-Polytechnic (Murugesan Polytechnic College), Jhunjhunu Defence Academy, IIPHS College of Fire and Safety Management, KiiT Group of Institutions (KiiT International School), Tirunelveli IIPE (DON NEET- JEE School), Unique Publishers (Unique Shiksha), Dhaanish Ahmed Group of Institutions (Dhaanish Ahmed Institute of Technology), CKS Integrate College of Education, Lovely Professional University, Talent Technology, Career Point University Kota, AJK College Of Arts And Science, Smt. T. V. Mehta Charitable Foundation (B.H. Gardi College of Engineering and Technology) and Chandra Study Circle.

Complaints against nine advertisements of all educational institutes listed below mostly are Upheld because of unsubstantiated claims that they ‘provide 100 per cent placement/AND/OR they claim to be the No.1 in their respective fields’:

Airwin Academy, Dhanwantari institute & Placement, Chellammal Educational Trust- Lourdes Mount College of Engineering & Technology, Kumaran Nursing School, Madras Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, NIMS International Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai's Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai's Amirta International Institute of Hotel Management and Kingston Engineering College.

Food and Beverages

Excelus Brands - Kettle Studio (The Grannary Chips) and The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (Oothu Green Tea).

Personal care:-

Naturoma Herbal (Saffire Sunfree) and SBS Biotech Ayurvedic Division (Roop Mantra Skin Care Products).