Your 4G ads are misleading: ASCI to Bharti Airtel

MUMBAI, INDIA: In what can be termed as a shot in the arm to one of the teleco majors, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has issued a notice to Bharti Airtel asking it to withdraw or modify its on-going 4G ads on speed challenge, calling them misleading.

As the notice issued to the telco, “The claim in the ad, Airtel 4G is the fastest network ever and If your network is faster, we will pay your mobile bills for life, is misleading by omission in the absence of appropriate disclaimers in the print, TV, hoarding advertisements. The advertisement contravened Chapter 1.4 of the code.”

“We have advised the Advertiser to withdraw or to modify appropriately the said advertisement before 7 October 2015, or seek a review of the decision. If you continue to see the advertisement after the due date, kindly bring the same to our notice,” the ASCI notice said.

Chapter 1.4 of the code says that advertisements should neither distort facts nor mislead the consumer by means of implications or omissions.

An Airtel statement confirmed that the company had received the notice and that the company will take up the issue with the ASCI. “We are engaging with ASCI to provide them with the technical data in support of our advertising claims and are following the prescribed process to schedule a review of the said issue. We are confident of getting a favourable response from them.”

“4G technology is proven to deliver the fastest Internet experience, and the same has been accepted globally. As the only commercial providers of this world-class technology in India, our advertising campaign revolves around the 4G promise of fastest Internet speeds and features a set of claims that are based on rigorous test conditions,” the statement added.

It must be noted that in May 2015, ASCI issued notices to Idea Cellular Ltd and Vodafone India as well as to Airtel for their 3G advertisements.

In the case of Idea, ASCI said that its advertisement of Idea Internet Network was found to be misleading by ambiguity as it led consumers to believe that through Idea Internet Network (IIN), a student can avail of the same level of education (economics and biology) as is being provided in a college.

Similarly, the case for Vodafone India’s Fastest 3G Network ad was also not substantiated adequately and was misleading by ambiguity, ASCI said. In the case of Airtel’s 3G ads, ASCI said the claims of being India’s Best 3G network and that Airtel gives 122 percent faster download speeds than other 3G networks were not adequately substantiated.

The ASCI decision came on a complaint filed by a consumer whose identity could not be determined.