Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) ordered Airtel to pull down or modify the “fastest network” claiming ad after a complaint from the rival Reliance Jio. Jio has also raised doubts about the methodology used by the speed test app Ookla.
ALSO READ: Reliance Jio Has Become The Fastest 4G Network In April; TRAI!
Airtel Is Still Airing Fastest Network Ads
Airtel was rated as India’s fastest 4G network by Ookla’s Speedtest early this year. But the official certificate was given to Airtel by is a year old (Q3-Q4 of 2016), which clearly makes it irrelevant in Q2 of 2017. A report from even OpenSignal was unable to help Airtel claim the fastest network tag.
In addition to that, early this month TRAI claimed Reliance Jio as the fastest network leading the chart from last four consecutive months. Disrespecting the authority’s decision Airtel is still running the ad claiming themselves as the fastest network.
ALSO READ: CCI Rejects Airtel’s Complaint Against Reliance Jio, RIL Gets Rejected!
Why Did Airtel Ran The Ads Again?
Evidently, Airtel is losing the consumer grip from the newcomer Reliance Jio. To this, Airtel in mid-April 2017, started new TVC campaign focusing more on smartphone experience rather than speed.
Airtel has also started Payment Bank, smartphone protection, anti-virus and so on, but suddenly the ads started appearing again on the television, could be because Airtel has been performing poorly according to the TRAI reports.
Is Airtel Disrespecting ASCI?
Oh yes! If ASCI asked Airtel to pull the ad down as its legit misleading and breaks guidelines, Airtel has to. In this case, Airtel is not following any set of orders and this is clear indication of insolence to a reputed organization.
ASCI (giving space) asked Airtel to stop or modify the misleading and unavailing advertisements, the discourteous and so called “the fastest network” company isn’t showing any sign of stopping the ads. This is enough to prove that Airtel is disrespectful to the organization.
How Are Airtel Ads Misleading?
Bharti Airtel Ltd. “Free data for 12 months, worth Rs 9000, switch to Airtel 4G”, is vaguely misleading. Well, to make a perspective, currently Airtel charge Rs 450 for 3GB data, the actual price of the offer (i.e 450 x 12= 5,400, not Rs 9000) is much lower than the price point of Rs 9000.
Coming to Unlimited local and STD calls has violated Chapter I.4 of the ASCI Code as well as Clause 1 of ASCI Guidelines for Disclaimers, which says; “A disclaimer can expand or clarify a claim, make qualifications, or resolve ambiguities, to explain the claim in further details, but should not contradict the material claim made or contradict the main message conveyed by the advertiser or change the dictionary meaning of the words used in the claim as received or perceived by a consumer.”
ALSO READ: Reliance JioFibre To Offer 100GB Data For Rs 500 In 100 Cities; Report
Well, the ad is still displayed (as mentioned above) and is still available on their YouTube channel. Well, keep your eyes wide open, as these misleading ads are catching up the market. What do you think? Is this act disrespectful towards ASCI? Let us know in the comment section below.
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