Vodafone, Airtel, Idea ads under ASCI scanner

Claims by Vodafone and Airtel on speed were found unsubstantiated, while Idea's IIN ads were questioned for misleading consumers

e4m by Sarmistha Neogy
Published: Aug 29, 2015 8:10 AM  | 4 min read
Vodafone, Airtel, Idea ads under ASCI scanner

According to the April report of the ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council, the body upheld complaints against 114 out of 144 advertisements. Out of this, ads of three of the major telecom operators like Vodafone, Idea and Bharti Airtel were pulled up for what ASCI classified as misleading content. As a result, the advertisers were forced to remove those portions of the ad which couldn’t be substantiated with proper proof.

Commenting on this, Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI said, “ASCI looks at claims which include the voiceover as well as the disclaimers, so the communication is in totality. In many of the cases, we have received complaints from consumers and as well as intra industries. For telecom ads, even though I would not be able to name any organisation, but we have received intra-industry complaints before as well. So when these complaints, come to us, we write to the advertisers and they are given a week’s time to defend the claims they have made in the ads and also submit data in view of them. After which, they are reviewed by the technical team and then ASCI decides on it. The advertisers are then asked to either modify their claim suitably or remove it in entirety.”

The following ads were pulled up by ASCI for their misleading content:

The TVC of Vodafone which claims, “Share photos 43% faster” and “The fastest 3G network”. Along with this, the website also claimed, “Experience internet like never before with the fastest 3G network”,“ That’s why we offer you the fastest 3G network, which lets you surf, share photos and download videos quicker than ever before.”,  “Upload and Share photos 43% faster.”, “Download videos 22% faster.” And “Load web pages 23% faster.”  When ASCI asked the advertisers to substantiate these numbers, which were being used in the commercials, the latter couldn’t do. Therefore, the body asked them to delete those portions from the ad or remove the entire ad.

The second TVC was of Bharti Airtel’s ad where they claimed “Stream videos 26% faster” and “Battery lasts 8% longer on Airtel” were found misleading and therefore, had to be omitted.

The third commercial was from Idea Cellular for one of their Idea Internet Network (IIN) ads which was found misleading. The advertisement shows a girl stating that her mother had to give up her studies due to marriage. Then the lady enrols for a law course on IIN! They show the housewife continuing her studies, as if IIN is a university or institute offering formal courses. But the fact is that, IIN is not any institute. So on finding, that the advertisement was misleading, the claim of using the word ‘admission’ was questioned and then the later couldn’t get it substantiated, that particular word was dropped from the ad.

In the ASCI’s Consumer Complaint, February report as well, Idea Cellular’s IIN ad of Haryana girls, not being allowed to step out of homes to study, is an attempt to defame Haryana and it tends to bring this State into disrepute.  The TVC was also found misleading by implication as the product/service promoted IIN is shown as a substitute to and equating to college education.

IIN Haryana: Click here to view:

Purandare further added, “There is lot of consumer awareness today, added to that the ASCI awareness levels have also increased in the last few years. Thanks to social media, we are also able to listen to consumers, specially Twitter, where people are complaining about claims and the other misleading parts of the communications. We pick up this chatter and also reach out to consumers also, thereby making the entire process an easier one. Our recently launched mobile app has also been quite successful with people finding it convenient to lodge a complaint anytime.”

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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