ASCI pulls up top FMCG cos for misleading ads

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New Delhi, Jan 2: Hindustan Unilever, Henkel India and Proctor and Gamble have been pulled up by the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) for misleading advertisements during July-September in 2007.

The FMCG majors were among total 11 advertisers against whom complaints were upheld by the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI during the period.

Hindustan Unilever had to modify a TV commercial of its product Vim dish wash liquid which according to the CCC was a misleading advertisement. The commercial against which complaint was made claimed that ‘just one drop enough. New Vim drop has 10 times more lime power than the bar’.

Based on the complaint, the advertiser had to provide proof and substantiate that ‘one drop’ of Vim could produce the cleaning effect as visually depicted and claimed in the voice over of the TV commercial.

Eventually the commercial had to be modified as the claim mentioned in the advertisement was misleading as the ‘cleansing protocol’ provided in the report submitted by the advertiser did not appear in the advertisement.

Similarly, Henkel India claimed that ‘each drop of Prill has active ingredients which removes grease better than the bar’ and according to the CCC, claim mentioned in the advertisement was not substantiated adequately.

Subsequently, the advertiser conducted the cleaning efficiency test with an independent lab for which they have provided a copy of the report.

Even Proctor and Gamble had to assure appropriate modification of the TV commercial which claimed that one tablespoon of ‘Tide’ was sufficient for washing a bucket full of clothes.

According to a complaint, the advertiser contradicted its own statement in the advertisement of ‘1 spoon’ being required when actually ‘1 scoop’ is required as mentioned on the pack.

Besides the leading FMCG firms, United Spirits, Coca Cola India, Perfetti Van Melle, Mahindra Renault, KBM Marketing and Rajvansh Clinic were other companies against which complaints were upheld by the CCC during the period.