NAMS tracks down 55 potentially misleading TV and Print ads!

Within a month of its launch starting May 1, ASCI’s National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS) has proved to be of immense value to the Indian consumers by tracking down 55 print and TV ads as potentially making misleading/false/unsubstantiated claims and thereby violating Chapter 1 of ASCI ad code. Launched with a mission of reducing misleading advertisements by ASCI in partnership with AdEx division of TAM, NAMS monitored 40 prints and 15 TV commercials during May. This is a huge jump in the first month of proactive monitoring as before NAMS there were only 177 ads complained against in whole of fiscal 2011/12. This is as much as 31% of ads to be processed in just one month of what was done in 12 months.

 

According to Mr. I Venkat, Chairman, ASCI, “We are enthused with the results shown by NAMS in the first month of the proactively monitoring of ads. Going by the initial results I am confident that NAMS will enhance the ad self regulation redressal process manifold. We now expect to see significant reduction in ads making misleading, false or unsubstantiated claims in the future with start of NAMS and consumers in India will benefit immensely.

 

As per ASCI’s agreement with TAM Media Research, AdEx India identifies ads which are in potential violation of Chapter 1 of ASCI code. AdEx India monitors newly released ads in the Auto, Banking, Financial Services & Insurance, FMCG (incl. F&B), Consumer Durables, Educational Institutions, Health Care Products & Services, Telecom and Real Estate sectors. The scope of work covers the tracking of more than 30 Newspapers (all editions) which contribute to over 80% of national newspaper readership and all TV Channels across the country in all Indian languages. Ads seen as those potentially violating Chapter 1 of ASCI Code are forwarded to ASCI on a weekly basis, post which ASCI process them as per its normal complaint procedure involving its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) for adjudication.