Regulatory group reaffirms principles of advertising fairness in India

Following a legal battle between Hindustan Unilever Limited and German skincare brand Sebamed, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has reminded advertisers of the need for any comparative advertisements to be “factual and capable of objective substantiation”.

What happened

German skincare brand Sebamed took shots at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) products in a recent campaign, claiming HUL’s Lux, Pears, and Dove have higher pH levels than claimed and are harmful to sensitive skin. In response, HUL took legal measures resulting in the Bombay High Court restraining Sebamed’s campaign from all media, and ran ads of its own reaffirming the credentials of brands like Dove.

Why it matters

While there have been plans for guidelines to regulate ad content that makes misleading claims, hardball comparative advertising might necessitate tougher rules.

Sourced from WARC