Marico Limited - Parachute

Recommendation: Not Upheld | Medium: General Public

The ASCI had approached the advertiser for its response in addressing the grievances of the complainant and forwarded the details of the complaint, verbatim, to the advertiser with a request to respond to the same. The advertiser was offered an option to seek an Informal Resolution (IR) of the complaint by modifying or withdrawing the claims in the advertisement, or alternately to substantiate the claims with supporting data. The advertiser was also offered an opportunity for a telecon with the ASCI Secretariat, which they availed and requested for an extension to submit their response. The deadlines stipulated by Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) procedure exist keeping in mind the immediate and widespread impact that advertisements have on the public. Consequently, any action which is needed to be taken with respect to the same is required to be prompt and urgent. It is for this purpose that the deadlines, as stipulated, are set for advertisers/broadcasters etc., and the CCC itself makes it a priority to deal with every complaint before it as expeditiously as possible. However, as a special gesture, the advertiser was granted an extension of additional four business days to respond. The advertiser in their response stated that, “……. the Celebrity has exercised requisite due diligence and was apprised about the product and the substantiation in support of the claims being made in the advertisement. In order to evaluate the benefits of the Product in delivering longer and thicker hair, the Advertiser conducted two studies. The Claim Study Report on Hair breakage demonstrates that the application of the Product significantly reduces (more than 11 times) hair fall due to breakage in comparison with untreated hair. The results of Hair Thickness Study …… conclusively demonstrate that application of the Product provides more than 2X thicker hair as compared to untreated hair”. As claim support data, the advertiser submitted the following documents – (1) Copy of advertisement, (2) Copy of the product label, (3) Redacted version of the product approval license, (4) Letter from celebrity on confirming on the due diligence compliance, (5) Hair Breakage Study, (6) Technical study on protection of hair thinning. The advertiser’s response along with the claim support data, was referred to an Independent technical expert of ASCI for an opinion in the matter. The expert's opinion was shared with the advertiser who were given the opportunity to make additional submissions. The advertiser then had a meeting through zoom video conference with the technical expert and the ASCI Secretariat to discuss their submissions. Post this meeting, the advertiser provided a journal reference on “Hair breakage index: An alternative tool for damage assessment of human hair”. The additional submissions made by the advertiser were shared with the technical expert for final opinion. The CCC viewed the TV advertisement, considered the complaint, the advertiser’s response along with the claim support data, and the expert’s final opinion presented at the meeting. The CCC observed that the advertiser has submitted two clinical studies done on hair swatches demonstrating the effectiveness of their product. The first study reports a significant reduction in hair fall due to combing after applying the product. The second study shows a notable reduction in hair thinning caused by abrasive breakage when using the oil, compared to untreated or control swatches. Both these studies confirm that the oil helps reduce hair breakage from combing and abrasion. The CCC noted that the advertiser has clarified that when they refer to "long hair" in the advertisement, they are comparing it to hair that has become broken or damaged due to combing and abrasion. The CCC reviewed the research paper titled "Hair Breakage Index: An Alternative Tool for Damage" submitted by the advertiser. This document reports a study on 30 subjects using coconut oil and 30 subjects not using it. The study found that after 16 days of using coconut oil, the participants showed a significant improvement in their hair breakage index (HBI) and break stress, their hair was less likely to break and more resistant to stress compared to those who did not use coconut oil. The CCC further discussed that combing or grooming hair can cause stress leading to breakage. Applying oil reduces this breakage helping the hair stay longer, thicker, and improving the hair density. Based on this assessment, the CCC concluded that the claim as translated in English, “It has coconut and 5 special herbs that make my hair longer, thicker and beautiful. Switch today to Parachute Advansed Sampoorna. Sampoorna matlab…Pooorna Care!”, was substantiated. The claim is not in contravention of Chapter I of the ASCI Code. This complaint was NOT UPHELD. The CCC observed that the advertiser has submitted a signed document from the celebrity (Alya Manasa) wherein she has stated in support of her due diligence that she has sought and perused the required test reports / documents that supports the product claims made in the advertisement. Based on this evidence, the CCC concluded that the celebrity endorsing the product in the advertisement is not in contravention of ASCI Guidelines for Celebrities in Advertising. This complaint was NOT UPHELD