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From showing illegal content to making unsubstantiated claims, several prominent companies were faulted for running 121 misleading ad campaigns in September by advertising industry watchdog ASCI.
Companies included Hindustan Unilever, Colgate Palmolive, GlaxoSmithKline, Piramal Healthcare, Idea Cellular and Godrej & Boyce.
According to Customer Complaints Council (CCC) of the Advertising Standard Council of India, the maximum complaints of misleading ads during the month were from education, health and personal care categories.
ASCI upheld a complain against GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, where it had claimed in its print ad of Junior Horlicks of having supplement contents like DHA and CHOLINE, which are important for child's brain development. However, it was not adequately and scientifically substantiated, hence the complain was upheld.
ASCI also found an ad by Aditya Birla group-controlled Idea Cellular having "illegal" contents, where the telecom operator in a promotional offer asked to pay Rs 299 for 4 beer (330ml) or 2 shot with a choice of starter worth Rs 550.
"The advertisement was an SMS with illegal content (Advertisement of alcoholic beverages) from their own SMS server. The complaint was upheld," said ASCI in its order.
It also pulled up Colgate-Palmolive, where in a TV commercial of tooth paste 'Colgate Strong', it had claimed that 'Colgate hai to no cavities', 'Colgate is 100 per cent guaranteed in providing anti-cavity protection'.
In the case of FMCG major Hindustan Unilever, in a print ad of its Ponds Age Miracle, the company had claimed that buyer would 'look up to 10 years younger'. The complaint against that was upheld.
Besides, ASCI upheld complaints against Piramal Healthcare, Humsafar Dawakhana, Dr Batra's Positive Health Clinic, Rich Feel Trichology Centre for making unsubstantiated claims in their ads.
It also upheld a Godrej & Boyce for having a misleading message in its print ad of its Godrej air conditioner, where it had exaggerated the savings from electricity with implied comparison with a leading brands.
"The CCC concluded that the advertisement was misleading by exaggeration and implication and contravened the Code," the watchdog said.
In education sector, CCC found that claims in 88 different advertisers including Triumphant Institute of Management and Inlingua Bangalore were not substantiated and violating its guidelines for advertising of educational institutions.
