scorecardresearch
Friday, August 22, 2025
TopicAdvertising

Topic: Advertising

Drip pricing, false urgency — ASCI releases new guidelines to curb ‘dark patterns’ in online ads

The new guidelines, applicable from 1 September, aim to curb companies misleading consumers about final price, remaining stock, among other 'dark patterns' in online advertising.

Bollywood stars for underwear, cricketers for tyres — who’s selling you what on Indian TV

With hardware from wires, rods, and paint being sold on TV, advertisers obviously believe that home is where the wallet is for consumers.

Federal Bank wants you to look forward to bank visits, new campaign moves away from apps

The tagline Rishta Aap Se Hai, Sirf App Se Nahi, is in line with the bank’s brand philosophy.

80% don’t notice disclaimers, 62% find them too long — why ad body ASCI updated its guidelines

Use of disclaimers must be kept to minimum, say amended guidelines from Advertising Standards Council of India. This comes in backdrop of new govt rules on social media influencers.

Watchdog flags jump in complaints about misleading ads, says education sector ‘most violative’

Social media influencers are also increasingly violating norms, says ASCI, which received 14% more complaints against ads in April-September 2022 than same period last year.

Dear social media influencers and advertisers, stop encouraging dangerous driving habits

Aamir Khan and Kiara Advani featured in an ad for a bank and raised heckles of many. But the main issue with the ad was that the actors promoted a bad riding habit.

‘All wool’ for mixed fabric: Ad regulator flags ‘misleading or incorrect’ descriptions by brands

White paper by Advertising Standards Council of India and law firm K&S partners highlights how practice of misleading product descriptions continues to plague ad industry.

Dan Wieden, the wiz who taught Mad Men to ‘Just Do It’ for Nike & redefined advertising

The American ad legend, co-founder of Wieden+Kennedy, passed away at the age of 77 in his hometown of Portland, Oregon on 30 September. Here’s a look at his unconventional career.

Vicco — brand that made Ayurveda mainstream with its ‘nahi cosmetic’ jingle

The company was founded by Keshav Vishnu Phendharkar in 1952 as Vishnu Industrial Chemical Company to make products that were free of chemicals.

Attention influencers. You may soon be fined lakhs for false ads, or not disclosing paid content

A set of guidelines, likely to be released by Consumer Affairs Ministry this month, will cover paid content, social media promotions & levy Rs 10 lakh-50 lakh in fines for negligence.

On Camera

Banning RMGs could end up like Bihar’s prohibition. Poor will suffer most

India should build on regulatory architecture instead of driving consumers into the shadows. The real choice is not between prohibition and inaction, but between regulation and chaos.

New insolvency frameworks to shorter timelines, how 2025 amendment bill proposes to transform IBC

New bill aims to fix key issues with IBC 2016, including delays & patchy implementation, and protect creditors, with window for genuine promoters to retain control of their companies.

Indian firm joins hands with US manufacturer to locally develop all-terrain vehicles for armed forces

Under joint venture, JSW Sarbloh Motors will indigenise and manufacture TX range ATVs in Chandigarh. The first India-assembled unit is expected by early 2026.

War of IAF, PAF doctrines: As Pakistan obsesses over numbers, India embraces risk, wins

Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?