Advertising watchdog ASCI has directed Heinz India to modify or withdraw a TV campaign for its nutritional drink Complan, terming it "misleading".
Upholding a complaint by rival GSK Consumer Healthcare, which sells nutritional drink brand Horlicks, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) said Heinz India's claim that Complan helps "2X increase" was an "exaggeration".
"We have advised the advertiser to modify appropriately or to withdraw the said TVC by October 13, 2017," ASCI's Fast Track Complaints Panel (FTCP) said in an order.
The ad regulator has also directed Heinz India to "take off the packaging material within four months with the revised packs being available in the market no later than January 2018".
Mails sent to Kraft Heinz India on the matter did not elicit any response.
ASCI said its panel had granted Heinz India personal hearing to give them the opportunity to support their claims.
Over the claim of "new" Complan, ASCI observed that Heinz India quoted a clinical study of 2008.
"The product being advertised was launched in year 2003- 04 and was marketed till year 2012. A different formula lower in protein and fat content was launched and marketed during 2012 till date. In view of the above, the FTCP concluded that the claim 'new' was false and misleading," it said.
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