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Symphony Limited - Symphony

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, “Surnames have been used extensively in Indian advertising to create memorable characters. A surname attached to a relatable character makes the brand’s message easier to remember. The humor in the ad is situational and light hearted, with no intent to ridicule cultural practices. The use of the surname "Iyer" is purely coincidental. The goal was to entertain and engage the audience, not to offend or harm any particular group”. In support of their response, the advertiser has shared YouTube links of similar advertisements which use similar types of surnames for characters shown in the advertisement. The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) viewed the YouTube advertisement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59lIyuDXyrI) considered the complaint and the advertiser’s response. The CCC observed that the advertisement shows three male models being addressed as “Iyer brothers” facing hair fall issues. The complainant’s grievance is that the advertisement portrays the Iyer community in a negative light. The CCC discussed that the advertisement promotes `Hairfall Control Geyser’, emphasizing its ability to reduce hair fall, while presenting this benefit in a humorous manner. The advertisement does not appear to disrespect any specific community. The reference made to ‘Iyer brothers’ is meant to be playful and entertaining with no intention of causing offense. 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