Advertising Standard Council of India - ASCI

Advertising Standards Council of India is a self regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry. The role of ASCI and CCC (Consumer Complaint Council) is dealing with complaints received from the consumers and the industry, against the advertisements which are false or misleading and leads to unsafe practices or unfair to competition. This is where ASCI comes into picture.

ASCI has adopted the Code of Self regulation in advertising. It particularly means commitment of the advertisers to honest advertising and fair competition in the market place. It stands for the protection of the legitimate interests of the consumers and all concerned with advertising, which means the advertisers and the agencies who are responsible for the creation of advertisements.

Since the code is been adopted, the 3 things come into picture:

Fewer false and misleading claims, lesser unfair advertisements and increasing respectability.

The mission of ASCI is to maintain and enhance the publics confidence in advertising. ASCI seeks to ensure that advertisements confirm its Code for Self regulation. The advertisements need to be:

• Truthful and fair to competition and consumers
• The advertisement should fit in the norms of public decency
• The products which are likely to impact the minors or the ones which have hazardous impact should not be advertised. 

 ASCI encourages the public to complain about the advertisements which they find deceptive or do not fit in the decency standards or for any other reason. ASCI also ensures prompt and ample amount of consideration. After this the CCC takes at a look at the advertisement and then an appropriate decision is conveyed to the complainant and the advertiser.

If an ad is to be reviewed for its impact on the viewers/audience/readers then the advertiser is also informed duly about the complaint and the points raised in the complaint. Then depending on complaint the advertiser is also permitted to elicit a response on the substantial issues raised by the complainant.

Only then the CCC of the ASCI will be in a position to deliberate meaningfully on the issues involved and to arrive at a fair and objective conclusion, which would stand the scrutiny of all concerned with the right of freedom of expression and the freedom of consumers to choose the products and services made available to them in the market place.

A clearly copy of the copy or the ad under complaint with the full particulars of the name and date of publication or a print out of an ad is sent to the advertiser. The identity of the complainant is not revealed.

The code of the Advertising Practices:

To ensure the truthfulness and honesty of representations and claims made:

1. Advertisements must be truthful.
2. Where advertising claims are expressly stated to be based on or supported by independent research or assessment, the source and date of this should be indicated in the advertisement.
3. Ads should not contain any reference to any person without due permission
4. Ads shall not distort facts or mislead the consumer by the means of implications or omissions.
5. To ensure that ads are not offensive to generally accepted standard of public decency
6. To safeguard against the indiscriminate use of advertising products hazardous to society.
7. Ads addressed to children shall not contain anything whether in illustration or otherwise which might result into their physical or mental harm
8. Ads should not show children climbing or reaching to dangerous location to reach any product or for any other purpose.