ASCI refreshes itself with a new brand identity; props up new offerings

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has undergone a makeover and emerged younger, more colourful and rearing to “help advertisers balance creativity and responsibility” with a new brand identity.

This makeover comes on the heels of a few initiatives the self-regulation propounding Indian ad land guardian embarked on in the past year and a half.

There’s the influencer guidelines that ask social media influencers to disclose if their content is paid for or not right off the bat. We also had the Guidelines for Online Real Money Gaming that aimed to make the advertising of real money gaming safer by educating viewers of the financial risks associated with such games.

Along with its new identity, ASCI has detailed three new future activities:

1. Helping advertisers with services that help them “get it right”. These include advisory services and research-based insight studies. ASCI has already embarked on a massive study GenderNext, that looks at gender depiction in advertising, and aims to provide new starting points for advertisers for more progressive gender depictions.

ASCI is also in the process of overhauling its Advertising Advisory service, which will support advertisers at the pre-production stage. This approach will provide the necessary thought leadership, provocations and support to the advertising ecosystem to create more responsible advertising.

2. Gearing up for the digital age: ASCI recognizes that with the digital age, not only are consumers seeing more ads on the digital media but also their expectations and interactions with advertisements and the media world are changing. The industry has reorganized itself to reflect this new reality. The coming together of marketing and information technology is determining how advertisements get created and consumed. Updating our guidelines and procedures to keep consumers safe in the digital age is of paramount focus for ASCI

3. Deployment of technology: Use of technology tools, machine learning and AI systems to track and measure advertising content is going to be a critical part of ASCI, going forward. Technology will help ASCI be more vigilant, more real time in overseeing the sheer explosion of advertising content. Deployment of technology in its complaint management system will also enable a smoother interaction between consumers, industry and other stakeholders with ASCI.

Subhash Kamath, Chairman, ASCI, said: “ASCI has stepped into the next phase of challenges that impact the interests of consumers in new ways. With new-age challenges posed by the digital age, it is imperative for ASCI to take a leap into becoming a contemporary thought leader and add greater value to consumers, industry and all our stakeholders."

"The new logo represents this very interesting phase of ASCI’s journey and the vibrant and optimistic outlook of responsible advertising. Our ideology and aim remain unchanged; however, we are now on the path to becoming a more dynamic and future-facing organization.”

KV Sridhar (Pops), Chief Creative Officer (Global), Nihilent Ltd, which designed the logo, said: “The colourful logo palette denotes the vibrancy of advertising and communication itself, as well as the diversity of ASCI’s stakeholders who have taken the oath to self-regulate and create ads with responsibility. The idea of creativity with responsibility is central to ASCI."

"The logo also reflects the dynamic nature of media platforms and the newer interesting ways in which communication is being created and consumed today. The elegant and inclusive font reflects an organization opening up to newer kinds of stakeholders, an organization that is collaborative and demonstrates leadership in bringing together the needs of different stakeholders. It signals that ASCI is gearing up towards this fast-evolving and dynamic environment of consumers and advertising."

Advertising veteran Roger C B Pereira, Founder Member, ASCI, said: The world today is remarkably different from when we started ASCI in 1985. However, what is noteworthy is that the twin principles of consumer protection and fostering creativity remain unchanged.