Hindustan Unilever, Henkel India and Proctor & 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 the complaint was made claimed that ‘just one drop is 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.

... contd.