Advertising Standards Council of India raps 15 firms for misleading claims

Advertising Standards Council of India raps 15 firms for misleading claimsAds for Horlicks and Pepsodent among those pulled upPiyali Mandal & Sounak Mitra / New Delhi Dec 29, 2012, 00:17 IST

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ad-council-raps-15-firms-for-misleading-claims/497089/

The Advertising Standards Council of India ( ASCI) pulled up 15 companies, including GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and Max Life Insurance, for misleading claims in their advertisements, in a report released on Friday.

While GlaxoSmithKline was asked to withdraw the commercial for its energy drink Horlicks, Hindustan Unilever was asked to pull out the commercial for its toothpaste brand Pepsodent Expert Protection.

In 2010-11, the independent agency, which monitors advertisements in Indian media, received 187 complaints, of which 104 were upheld. According to ASCI, during this period, 85 advertisers complied with its decisions.

“The advertisement (for Horlicks) does not disclose the manner in which Horlicks provides comprehensive nutrition, as claimed in the advertisement,” ASCI said, adding five of the seven claims in the advertisement didn’t follow ASCI guidelines.

An e-mailed query to GlaxoSmithKline did not elicit any response.

Other companies asked to withdraw or modify their advertisements include Cadilla Healthcare (for its Everyouth Natural Fairness brand of face wash, VLCC Personal Care for VLCC Shape Up Waist and Tummy Trim Gel and Healthcare Shape up), the Dainik Bhaskar Group (for its ‘How Divya Marathi opened the new market’ campaign) and Max Life Insurance (for its Shiksha Plus II Child plans).

ASCI said about 80 per cent of advertisers in India complied with codes set by the council. Five years earlier, compliance stood at 71 per cent.

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