ASCI upholds complaints against three deodorant ads

The Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) and its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) have upheld complaints against three deodorant advertisements -- Hindustan Unilever's (HUL) ad for Axe, and Paras Pharmaceuticals' ads for Zatak and Set Wet.

As these advertisements violate Chapter II of the ASCI Code, complaints against them have been upheld.

Paras Pharmaceuticals' ad for Zatak deodorant shows a boy going to a female dentist after using the product. The dentist is shown closing her eyes and moaning suggestively. By the end of the TVC, skin show forms a significant part of the visuals.

Paras Pharmaceuticals' ad for Set Wet deodorant shows a man using the product and grabbing female attention. An onlooker is then shown trying the product, followed by a lady shown clinging to him.

The CCC concluded that these three advertisements display overt sexual desire and are demeaning to women. Keeping in mind the generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, these three ads have been found likely to cause grave and widespread offence.

It may be noted that Paras Pharmaceuticals has assured the CCC that the Zatak TVC would be appropriately modified.

There are complaints that the CCC did not uphold certain ads, though. These include the deodorant brands Wild Stone (McNroe Consumer Products), Addiction (Mankind Pharma), New Axe Googly (HUL), and Denver (Vanesa Inc.).

But, according to the CCC, these four ads are in line with the generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety and lack enough influence to cause grave or widespread offence.