NEW DELHI: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has asked the Indian Premier League (IPL) to withdraw a promotional advertisement featuring former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The council recommended this after a road safety organization lodged a complaint citing that the promo was glorifying violation of traffic rules.
The complaint was filed by Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) against the promotional advertisement, which shows Dhoni in the role of a bus driver who stops the bus in the middle of a very busy road. The advertisement shows that when a traffic policeman arrives at the scene and questions Dhoni’s actions, he says they are watching the ‘Super Over’ of an IPL match. The traffic policeman treats this as a normal occurrence during IPL and drives away.
The ASCI, which is a voluntary industry body, took cognisance of the complaint. Subsequently, the Consumer Complaints Committee (CCC) members of the council watched the advertisement with the representative of the company which has made the promo.
The ASCI found violation of its code and instructed the advertisement-making company to either modify it or completely withdraw it by April 20.
The company has accepted it in writing that it will withdraw it.
