The Hindu Business Line : Look inward now

Misleading claims proven as such — when society feels most companies would do anything to sell and the Government then steps in, it spells doom for the ad industry.

"Most agencies are merely implementing strategy. I'd be very surprised to learn they had the product knowledge to try and mislead the customer."

Pizza Hut's claim that its dough is fresh and not made in a factory like others' was found to be misleading.

The advertising industry has often been accused of playing fast and loose. A college professor asked me why we were creating demand amongst those who couldn't afford the goods and services that were being tantalizingly dangled before them.

While addressing the Maharashtra Women's Rights Commission a couple of years ago, I faced the wrath of women who alleged that the advertising industry was perpetuating stereotypes. At a UN-sponsored women's rights' seminar which I addressed in Delhi, irate women strongly protested the portrayal of women as sex objects by the advertising industry.

I had my answers pat all right. I spoke about the market research and the pre-launch surveys that FMCG manufacturers conduct. The focused groups seem to opt for the creatives that show women scrubbing utensils and washing clothes. They never opt for the visuals where men are doing these chores. I spoke about the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) which is as fine a body as any you can find, and how we are the only industry to have set up a completely unbiased self-regulatory body. I spoke about the many women's magazines that have on the cover pages images of women that one would think appealed more to idle young men and dirty old ones. I spoke about advertising being the engine of growth and how it gave customers their inviolable right to choose.

I meant every word I said. I still mean it. Yet, each time I read the report the ASCI sends its members on the cases they have decided upon, I despair.

The latest one is no different.

The ASCI has upheld a complaint against the people who handle the Pizza Hut brand for the claim made in their advertising created by JWT that says, "Our dough is fresh and not made in a factory like others." The claim has been found to be misleading. It seems only the base is fresh in any case. Evidently Smokin' Joe's Pizza has been making the claim about "fresh pizzas" for the last ten years and their pizzas use many more fresh ingredients.

ITC Ltd in a TV commercial made for it by FCB Ulka shows a young boy who is watching other bigger boys play basketball. He tries to play with them but cannot reach anywhere near the basket. Enter the Sunfeast biscuit mascot that gives the young boy Sunfeast biscuits. The boy eats it, instantly grows taller and reaches the basket. I will not comment on the script in this article. I will only state that ASCI found the TVC to be misleading by gross exaggeration. The commercial seemed to convey a message that biscuits were responsible for a person's growth, whereas they are evidently meant to be only dietary supplements.

ASCI also upheld a suo motu complaint against United Breweries for an advertisement for Sand Piper Malt Beverage created by Triton Communications. This was obviously surrogate advertising for a liquor brand.

ASCI upheld a complaint against Johnson & Johnson for advertising created by McCann Erickson for Stayfree sanitary napkins saying that the claims made were not substantiated, and against Gillette India for advertising created for Duracell Batteries by O&M saying the radio commercial was misleading by implication.

The point to note is that when society increasingly feels this way, the Government steps into the act.

Let me state this is not a complete list. I have deliberately chosen examples of large, well-established advertisers and large, well-established agencies. The reason for this is simple. A small new advertiser could probably be given the proverbial benefit of doubt. The efforts of a small new advertising agency could be dismissed in the same vein.

What excuse do these big advertisers and agencies have? They have been around for decades. They boast of product and market expertise. They hire top human resources. They use the services of the best agencies.

Then why do they mislead, and take unfair advantage, and exploit vulnerability?

Incidentally, in all the cases I have mentioned, the advertising was withdrawn after ASCI upheld the complaints made against them.

They deserve to be patted on the back for that, right? Wrong!

The fact of the matter is that there are an increasing number of cases where leading advertisers are putting out high-decibel tactical campaigns that are on air or in print for short, powerful bursts. By the time a complaint is made to ASCI, deliberated upon and upheld, the communication has served its purpose. When ASCI tells the errant advertiser to withdraw or modify the communication, he is more than willing to sanctimoniously do it.

Please don't tell me that that these giant corporates who have armies of marketing experts and larger armies of technical experts do not know what they are advertising. And what of the agencies who are communicating these little half-truths?

Firstly, I do not think they are the ones who have come with the idea in the first place. No, I am not protecting my fraternity. I am just admitting that most agencies are merely implementing strategy these days. I would be very surprised if I learnt that an agency actually had the product knowledge to try and mislead the customer. It is just that most agencies would not dare to challenge an advertiser on points of ethics and values.

And please keep in mind that most of these advertisers have large budgets to implement a carefully thought out corporate social responsibility programme.

I believe that advertisers who are routinely hauled up by the ASCI for issues like the ones I have outlined are not as smart as they think they are. They have not just released some advertising and withdrawn it when they were caught. They are slowly but surely eroding the fabric of social accountability that should be demanded of them. They are allowing society to harden a nagging fear that beneath a cloak of corporate piety, most companies would do anything to sell. And the buyer be damned!

The point to note is that when society increasingly feels this way, the Government steps into the act. And then God help the advertising industry.

The time to look inward and realise this is a self-defeating exercise is now. Tomorrow may be too late.

(Ramesh Narayan heads Canco Advertising.)

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