Unwanted-72, a product of Mankind Pharma Ltd and I-Pill, an offering from drug maker Cipla Ltd are both under the scanner for their latest TV commercials. The ads of these two products have been upheld by Consumer Complaints Council (CCC), as five complaints have been registered with the council.

The objection has been raised with the positioning of the two products, promoting the drugs as regular contraceptives and misrepresenting abortion.

Ram Teke, deputy drug controller general of India (DCGI), said, “We have ethical concerns about these advertisements, they are not projecting the message clearly that these pills are emergency contraceptives and not regular contraceptives. We are awaiting the responses from the companies.”

However, the ad agencies behind the concept of the two commercials do not feel the same. “The campaign is trying to create awareness among youth that abortion is not the only route if no precaution was used. I don’t see anything objectionable in the message.” said Dhaval Vyas, manager of the Unwanted-72 account at Prachar Communications, which has created the ad.
Network Advertising, the advertising agency that created the I-Pill ad also defended it. “We don’t find nothing offensive about the the way the message is projected in the I-Pill ad.” says an spokesperson for the agency.

Alan Collaco, secretary general, ASCI , said, “We have received about five complaints on these ads and the matter is currently with the CCC, which will take a call on whether it should be pulled off the air.”

ASCI is the self-regulatory body of the advertising industry and its advice, following queries or complaints on advertisements released in the Indian media, is mostly followed by advertisers and their agencies.