ASCI Update: Complaints against 191 out of 269 ads upheld in March 2018

In March 2018, the Advertising Standards Council of India's (ASCI) Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 191 advertisements out of the total of 269 advertisements that were evaluated by the CCC.

Out of the total 191 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 114 belonged to the healthcare sector, 24 to the education sector, 35 to the food and beverages category, seven to personal care, and 11 were from the 'others' category. A total of 183 advertisements were picked up by ASCI's Suo Moto surveillance and objections against 165 advertisements were upheld. Of the 86 advertisements complained against by the general public or by industry members, complaints against 26 advertisements were upheld by the CCC.

Commenting on the same, Abanti Sankaranarayanan, chairman, ASCI says, "Grievances against brands from various segments have been upheld for not abiding by the Self-Regulation code and guidelines put forth by ASCI. It is ASCI's on-going mission to maintain and enhance the public's confidence in advertising and ensure that consumers stay protected from misleading information in the advertisements."

DIRECT COMPLAINTS

HEALTHCARE:

The CCC found claims of seven advertisements in healthcare products or services to be either misleading or false or not adequately/ scientifically substantiated; hence, in violation of the ASCI Code. Several healthcare products or clinic advertisements also contravened provisions of the Drug & Magic Remedies Regulations and Chapter III.4 of the ASCI Code. Complaints against the following advertisements were upheld:-

1. Lifespan Wellness Pvt Ltd. (Lifespan Diabetes Clinic)

2. Dr. Dassan's Life Care Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment and Research Centre (Kidney)

3. Allen Healthcare Co. Ltd (Livosin Ayurvedic liver and skin health capsule)

4. Allen Healthcare Co. Ltd (Livosin DS herbal Liver Tonic)

5. Super Science of Healing Methods (Dr. R.K Aggarwal)

6. Detoxicate herbal powder

7. RajVaidya Shital Prasad & Sons (Rasayan Vati)

PERSONAL CARE:-

1. L'Oreal India Private Ltd

2. Hindustan Unilever Limited - Pure Derm Anti Dandruff Shampoo

3. Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited - Pampers

4. Wipro Enterprises Pvt Ltd (Santoor Handwash)

5. R & R Salons Private Ltd (YLG Institute Salon Pro Slogro)

FOOD AND BEVERAGES:-

1. Guiltfree Industries Limited (Too Yumm)

2. Tata Chemical Ltd (Tata Salt)

3. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Limited - Horlicks Protein Plus

4. Chemical Resources (Fenfuro)

EDUCATION:-

The CCC found the following claims in the advertisements by three advertisers not substantiated and thus, violating ASCI Guidelines for Advertising for Educational Institutions.

1. IMS Learning Resources P. Ltd

2. Allnine Overseas Education

3. Great Lakes Institute of Management (Great learning)

OTHERS:-

1. Polycab Wires Pvt Ltd (Polycab Cables & Wires)

2. HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Ltd (HDFC life)

3. Lux Industries Limited (Lux Venus)

4. Oppo Mobile (Oppo F5)

5. MRF Ltd (MRF Nylogrip Plus)

6. Eastern Media Limited (Kanak News)

7. Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited

SUO MOTO Surveillance by ASCI

The advertisements given below were picked up through ASCI's Suo Moto surveillance of Print and TV media via the National Advertisement Monitoring Services (NAMS) project. Out of 183 advertisements that were picked up, 165 advertisements were considered to be misleading. Of the 165 advertisements, 107 belonged to healthcare, 21 to the Education category, 31 to the Food & Beverage category, two to the Personal Care category, and four belonged to the 'Others' category.

HEALTHCARE:

1. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd (Crocin 650)

2. Kolors Health Care India Pvt Ltd (Kolors Slimming & Beauty)

3. Nova IVI Fertility

4. Karan Hospital

5. Pravek Kalp Pvt Ltd (Pravek-T)

6. Chahal Clinic

7. Lumen Clinic

8. Mohak Bariatrics & Robotics

9. Abhay Ayurvedic Pharmacy - Medari Range of Products:

10. Herbal Ayurveda (Herbal Gain Tablet)

11. Naturoveda India Pvt. Ltd. (Naturoveda Health World)

FOOD & BEVERAGE:-

1. GrassRoot Nutrition Pvt Ltd (NutriValue Aloera)

2. Surya Poultry Farms Pvt Ltd. (Surya Organic Chicken)

3. Uniwaves (Uniwaves Vitamin Water)

4. Flipbald Health and Wellness - Flipbald Natural Booster and Natural Protein Capsules

5. Flipbald Health and Wellness (Flipbald De-addiction Powder)

6. Flipbald Health And Wellness (Flipbald Green Coffee Beans and Forume Oil)

7. Flipbald Health and Wellness (Flipbald Green Coffee Beans and Forume Oil)

8. Flipbald Health & Wellness (Flipbald Sexual Problems)

9. Flipbald Health and Wellness Product (Flipbald De-addiction Powder)

10. Flipbald Health and Wellness Product (Flipbald De-addiction Powder)

11. Flipbald Health and Wellness Product (Flipbald De-addiction Powder)

12. UNSP-Packaged Rice (Doctor Rice)

13. Kwality Limited (Kwality Milk)

14. Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd

15. Cargill India Pvt Ltd (Leonardo Olive Oil)

16. Cargill India Pvt Ltd (Leonardo Olive Oil)

17. Vimal Oil Food Ltd (Vimal Edible Oil)

18. Shradha Ashram - (Shradha Ashram Herbal Tea)

19. Adani Wilmar Ltd (Fortune Besan)

20. World Champion (Sai Keshari Sattu)

21. Tower Walnuts Dry Fruits (Tower Walnuts)

22. Good Times Ventures India (Just Drink Herbal Energy Drink)

23. TeaOX

24. Nandi Agro Initiative Pvt Ltd (Nandi Atta Range)

25. Malabar Food Products (Fruitomans Squash)

26. Cremica Food Industries (Cremica Mixed Fruit Jam)

27. Bhaskar Venkatesh Products Pvt Ltd (Bhaskar Salt)

28. Nutricane Beverages Pvt Ltd (OMG Ginger Groove Sugarcane Juice)28.

29. Sanzyme Ltd (Nutrus Green Coffee)

30. INVENTZ Lifesciences Private Limited (Heads Up Tablet)

31. Pernod Ricard India P. Ltd (Chivas Studio - Win the right way Music CD)

EDUCATION:-

Complaints against advertisements of 21 educational institutes, listed below, are upheld mainly because of unsubstantiated claims and/ or misleading claims that they provide 100 per cent placement/ placement assistance and/ or they claim to be the No. 1 in their respective fields:-

Creative Skill Development, Gurukul Institute of Engineering and Technology, Alhind Academy, Antica Maritime Academy, Institute Of Fire Engineering and Safety Management (NIFS), National Small Industries Corporation Limited, National Small Industries Corporation Limited, Network Bull Technologies, Flamingo Air Academy, Flying Cats, Sangam University, Zet Airlink, Aspirant, National Institute of Financial Markets, Indian Institute Office of Management(IIOM), Institute of Design & Technology, Jumbo Jet Aviation Academy, Hindustan Soft Education Ltd - Oxford Software Institute, Parmanand Institute of Fire Engineering, Institute of Fire Engineering and Safety Management (NIFS) and Bicard Computer Education

PERSONAL CARE:-

1. Laiva Hair Oil

2. Chandra Brothers Medi-Med Pvt Ltd (Chandraboti Fairness Moisturiser)

OTHERS:-

1. Samsung Galaxy Note 8

2. Shri Balaji Incense Industries (Balaji Madhu Kunj 100)

3. Confident Group (Confident Aquila)

4. Reckitt Benckiser Pvt Ltd -India (Mortein)