Top brands Amazon, Vodafone, Jio under fire for misleading ads
What's the story
Among the 199 complaints received from consumers by Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) against companies showcasing misleading ads, as many as 130 advertisements have been upheld. The ad watchdog's list comprises of several prominent and trusted brands such as e-commerce platform Amazon India, Hindustan Unilever Limited and telecom majors Vodafone and Reliance Communications among others. Here's all you need to know.
Pepsodent
Hindustan Unilever Limited for Pepsodent
The "Pepsodent Germi Check'' advertisement by Hindustan Unilever Limited promising "12-hour protection" has been considered misleading by ASCI. According to the regulator, the firm has provided no substantial proof to back this claim and the ad also omits other measures that are needed to take care of teeth after having sugary food.
Cinthol
Godrej Consumer Products for Cinthol
Although Godrej Consumer Products Ltd displays "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" on the front of its Cinthol pack, it fails to mention in the ads that the fourth pack is actually smaller in size. The firm clarified it in a disclaimer but that wasn't placed on the same packaging panel where it made this claim. This ad violates Chapter I.4 of the ASCI guidelines.
Amazon
Amazon for Woodland Wallet for Men
E-commerce giant Amazon's ads for 'Woodland Wallet for Men' faced flak from ASCI too. Amazon in this ad claimed that the products were 100% original but the firm couldn't ensure that these products were genuine in nature. It's "Terms & Conditions apply" disclaimer was considered to be ambiguous and contradictory to the original claim made on these products.
Vodafone
Reliance Communication, Vodafone for tariffs
Reliance Communications' advertisements claimed it was the "Fastest 4G Network" and it offers "Truly Unlimited Local + STD calls only on RC 152 28 days" both of which were unsubstantiated. Vodafone's ad claimed to offer, "Rs 328 + Unlimited Local / STD Calls for 28 days", but its disclaimer said it was limited to 300 minutes/day, contradicting Clause 1 of ASCI Guidelines for Disclaimers.
ASCI
There were several others
Complaints against big names such as HDFC ERGO General Insurance, Foodpanda, and Emirates Airlines were also upheld by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Emirates responded to this allegation by saying that there was no foul play involved from their end and that they have already submitted a written response to ASCI regarding this matter.