ASCI launches AdWise to strengthen advertising literacy among schoolchildren

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has launched AdWise, a national classroom-based advertising literacy programme aimed at students from Grades 3 to 8. Rolled out under ASCI Academy, the initiative intends to reach one million students across 2,000 schools in multiple Indian cities by the end of 2026. Introduced in September, the programme will run for 15 to 18 months through structured, in-school sessions that focus on helping children understand and critically evaluate advertising.

AdWise has already reached more than 1,14,000 students in 240 schools across seven states. The programme is designed to build foundational skills in identifying, questioning and interpreting advertising messages, particularly within digital environments where commercial content is often integrated into entertainment and social media formats. ASCI notes that while children are highly active online, they may lack the critical thinking required to navigate persuasive messaging embedded in both digital and offline media.

ASCI Academy measures learning outcomes by tracking improvements in several parameters, including the ability to recognise ads, distinguish ads from content and understand advertising intent. Students are tested before and after the sessions to evaluate progress. Early results show a 59%-86% increase in correct responses among students in Grades 3 to 5, and a 57%-95% increase among students in Grades 6 to 8, indicating strong programme impact across age groups.

AdWise is framed around the tagline ‘Smart Kids. Smart Choices’ and addresses an important gap in children’s digital literacy. The programme aims to reduce vulnerability to misleading or potentially harmful advertising by equipping children with the skills to make informed decisions. ASCI is also conducting an ethnographic study on how children aged 7 to 15 (Gen Alpha) interact with media and advertising, including how they identify and interpret commercial messages.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and secretary general of ASCI, said children today are exposed to advertising in ways that differ significantly from previous generations. She noted that although children may lack the cognitive abilities to decode advertising, they encounter marketing messages across multiple touchpoints. Kapoor said AdWise aims to empower children, parents and teachers to critically analyse these influences and build responsible media consumption habits.

Following a successful pilot, AdWise is being implemented across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Indore, Bhopal, Patna, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kolkata. The NGO School Health Annual Report Programme (SHARP) is the execution partner. Phase 2 will extend the programme to Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Punjab, Assam and Karnataka while strengthening presence in existing cities.

The one-hour workshops are tailored to two age groups. Sessions for Grades 3 to 5 focus on helping children understand what constitutes an ad, recognise that ads are intended to persuade, identify where ads appear, distinguish ads from content and think critically about advertising claims. Sessions for Grades 6 to 8 explore persuasive techniques, influencer advertising, online safety and different advertising formats, supported by case studies.

The programme includes presentation decks, handbooks, videos and gamified activities. Parents receive tips and checklists to reinforce learning at home. Digital resources are currently available in English, Hindi and Marathi, with Tamil and Kannada versions in progress. By providing accessible, age-appropriate learning tools, ASCI aims to ensure that children develop a strong understanding of advertising and are better equipped to make informed choices.