The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has launched an initiative, Suspension Pending Investigation (SPI), to stop the airing of extreme ads with immediate effect. This includes advertisements that are gravely obscene, indecent, vulgar and are against public interest. Such ads will now be required to be withdrawn immediately pending decision of ASCI’s Consumer Complaint Council (CCC).
Towards this end, ASCI recently amended its Articles of Association, in line with the codes of some of the other self regulatory organisations like the Advertising Standards Authority of the UK.
It states, “In exceptional circumstances, when it appears prima facie that an advertisement is in serious breach of the Code and it’s continued transmission on/ through/ by any medium causes or has the effect of causing public harm and/or injury or its continuation is against public interest, then ASCI would, pending investigation and decision by CCC, forthwith require the advertiser/ the advertising agency/ the media buying agency and the media concerned to immediately suspend the release of advertisement.”
On the new initiative, Arvind Sharma, chairman, ASCI, and chairman and CEO, Leo Burnett India sub-continent, said, “It is an important landmark for ASCI. This initiative will go a long way in getting seriously offending ads removed immediately before they cause any damage to the consumers and society in general. We expect the advertising sector to support this very important initiative.”
If an ad is suspended, the CCC will adjudicate if the advertisement is in breach of the Code after hearing the advertiser and will pass its judgement within 30 days from the date of suspension.
