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Jyothy Laboratories Ltd. - Ujala

Recommendation: Not Upheld | Medium: General Public

The ASCI had approached the advertiser for its response in addressing the grievances of the complainant and forwarded the details of the complaint, verbatim, to the advertiser with a request to respond to the same. The advertiser was offered an option to seek an Informal Resolution (IR) of the complaint by modifying or withdrawing advertisement, or alternately to respond to the objections raised in the complaint. The advertiser was also offered an opportunity for a telecon with the ASCI Secretariat, which they did not avail and submitted their response. The advertiser in their response stated that, “We may also provide you additional context that in this category of goods (i.e. fabric whiteners/detergents) children, given their inherently unbiased, non-judgmental, and unprejudiced nature, are generally used as the medium to communicate to mothers regarding the declining whiteness of uniform/clothes. However, the focus and target audience of such advertisements continue to be the mother. Such advertisement and category of products are never addressed to children and/or meant for consumption by children”. In support of their response, the advertiser has shared YouTube links of similar advertisements which highlight the impact of yellow stains or dirty uniforms on a child's appearance. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the YouTube advertisement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=sdjdlOLS0hlHWyDc&v=skjbu5oic40&feature=youtu.be) considered the complaint and the advertiser’s response. The CCC observed that the advertisement shows a group of school children playing a game where they identify colors to win a round. When the color "Yellow" is called out, a young girl naturally associates it with a boy's yellow-colored shirt. The advertisement then highlights a common issue many mothers face keeping their children's school uniforms white and clean. The CCC discussed that none of the children, including the girl shown in the advertisement, should be perceived as engaging in or endorsing behaviour that could be construed as bullying or mocking the school boy. The girl's actions are intended to be interpreted as a light hearted and unintentional reaction consistent with the playful nature of the game. The CCC further discussed that the advertisement, through its illustrations or messaging, does not pose any risk to the mental or moral well being of children. Based on these observations, the CCC concluded that the advertisement is not in contravention of Chapter III of the ASCI Code. This complaint was NOT UPHELD