The Hero scooter TV commercial was banned by the Advertising Standards Council of India and features brand ambassadors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor.

Hero Maestro Dual Tone Colour Festive Season
The ad depicted visuals of the scooter being used to play football in a residential area

The Delhi High Court has stayed an order of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) that had earlier directed Hero MotoCorp to take its new TV commercial for scooters off air. The TVC was launched last month along with the Indian Super League (ISL) and involved ambassadors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt while featurig the Maestro and Pleasure scooters from the two-wheeler maker’s stable. The issue started when ASCI directed Hero to take its commercial off air as it depicted scenes of people playing soccer on scooters in a residential area.

ASCI also stated that cautionary warning displayed at the bottom of the ad was of a font that was not easily visible. In a counter petition filed by Hero, the company argued that ASCI did not have the jurisdiction to pass an order that mandated the need to take the TVC off air. The company also refuted saying that the cautionary message was clearly visible and its commercial complied with the advertisement code. The two-wheeler maker has sought orders to the Centre to not act upon ASCI’s direction to take the ad off air.

This in essence is more of a moral issue rather than tampering with advertisement practices. What ASCI feels is that the use of scooters for football or rather for doing stunts in a residential vicinity in the TVC does not leave a good impression among the masses. Hero on the other hand is the title sponsor for ISL and has mixed scooters and football to showcase the association, which is certainly healthy. What we would like to do here is not jump to a conclusion, but ask you “the viewer” instead on should the ad be taken off air and if it is sending the wrong message?

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