Govt brands Axe`s ad `indecent`

New Delhi, Aug 22: Keeping in line with its crackdown on suggestive advertisements being televised, Government today took strong objection to the promotional piece of a deodorant brand, citing it as "indecent", "vulgar" and "repulsive".

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has sought information from the Advertising Standards Council ...

...India (ASCI) regarding the advertisement of Axe's 'Dark Temptations' deodorant, asking whether the body has received any complaints about it from the Consumers' Complaint Council (CCC).

"We have found that the advertisement of Axe Dark Temptation deodorant is indecent, vulgar and repulsive," stated a communique from the ministry to ASCI.

In the same communication, the ministry has held that in the event of no complaints being received against the advertisement, the ASCI should treat its query as a formal complaint and advise the advertisers "to refrain from airing the said advertisement".

A copy of the complaint has also been forwarded to the secretary general of Indian Broadcasting Foundation asking them to advise broadcasters to air the advertisement only after precautionary measures have been taken to avoid some objectionable portions.

The advertisement shows a model wearing the deodorant that has a chocolate scent, eliciting objectionable reactions from women.

The ministry in the recent past had issued similar notices to television channels airing an advertisement of a popular undergarment brand.

It had asked the channels to run precautionary scrolls while airing the said advertisement. The advertisement was eventually pulled off the air.

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