If an ad makes you mad! by Valerie Rodrigues valerie_goa at sancharnet.in
Today, advertisements are everywhere. They leap out at you, from newspapers, magazines, radios and TV screens as they try to captivate and cajole you to try out a particular product. Some of them are amusing, others a bore and some even an eyesore, like the many large ugly billboards along the highways that practically scream out at you. Are ads really necessary? Well, advertising serves to awaken interest in the advertiser's product and is definitely a very useful tool as this humourous ditty by an unknown poet would indicate : The codfish lays ten thousand eggs, The homely hen lays one. The codfish never cackles To tell you what she's done. And so we scorn the codfish, While the humble hen we prize, Which only goes to show you That it pays to advertise. However, while there is no doubt that advertising is necessary, it often happens that in an attempt to canvass their products, advertisers sometimes wind up creating artificial wants in consumers, especially in children. Worse still, one sometimes comes across ads that are blatantly unfair, misleading or offensive to one's sensibilities in some way or other. But is there anything that can be done in case of such ads? Well, luckily, there is. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is an organisation that seeks to ensure that advertisements conform to a certain code of standards. This code requires that ads should be truthful and fair to consumers and that they should be within the bounds of public decency and propriety. ASCI also encourages you to complain about ads which you may be unhappy about. Each complaint receives a prompt and objective consideration by an impartial committee and after taking into account the viewpoint of the advertiser, an appropriate decision is taken and communicated to all concerned. The ASCI can be contacted at the following address : Secretary General, ASCI, 205 Bombay Market, Tardeo Road, Mumbai 400034. Tel : (022)23521066 Fax: 23516863 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.asci.co.in So the next time you come across an ad that appalls you in any way, you don't have to just grin and bear it. It will take only a few minutes to send in your protest, and make sure your voice is heard. ASCI believes in the power of public opinion and sums it up nicely saying, 'Together, we can set it right.' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Valerie Rodrigues is a Vasco da Gama-based freelance writer. GOANET READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share quality Goa-related writing among the growing readership of Goanet and it's allied network of mailing lists. If you appreciate the above article, please send in your feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from those who appreciate their work. Goanet Reader too welcomes your feedback at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Goanet Reader is edited by Frederick Noronha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
