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Patanjali gears up to battle ad regulator ASCI
MUMBAI: Patanjali Ayurveda is about to go head-to-head with The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) – the self regulatory body constituting of advertisers, advertising agencies and media to address misleading and rogue advertising content issues. The Swami Ramdev promoted FMCG company has decided to drag ASCI to court for its ‘high handedness’ and ‘unfairness.’
Reason? ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) has called several advertisements of Patanjali Ayurveda products misleading and unfair, hampering other brands. Patanjali is amongst the biggest advertisers on Indian television.
“The claims in the advertisement (of Patanjali Dugdhamrut) in Hindi as translated into English states “Infertility is increasing in cattle,” “Cattle is being butchered,” “Other companies mix up 3 to 4% urea and other non-edible things in their cattle feed” and “Patanjali Gaushala’s cow that gives 25 Liters milk,” were not substantiated and were misleading,” reads one such upheld complaint from ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) report in April.
This decision is something that the top bosses at Patanjali cannot stomach and they see in it a possible conspiracy driven by competitors.
“We feel that these complaints and accusations are an intentional act to mar Patanjali’s name and is part of a conspiracy by certain multinational companies, who have a great deal of influence on ASCI,” shares Patanjali managing director Acharya Balkrishna.
And the brand has secured evidence to substantiate this, that it will present to the court against ASCI. “In order to expose ASCI’s underhanded behaviour for certain brands to the entire nation we want to take this matter to court. We have documental evidence that the complaints against our ads didn’t come from any individual consumer but from certain MNCs that have influence within ASCI.”
It may be noted that several leading FMCG brands are part of ASCI’s member list including Nestle, Mondelez, and P&G.
But suing ASCI wasn’t the first thing that Patanjali had decided upon after receiving the notices. The decision came after the brand failed to secure a satisfactory explanation from the self-regulatory body on each of those complaints. “We had replied to each and every one of the mails from ASCI on account of the complaints, but we got back one liners from them saying ‘We are not satisfied with your response,’ without any further explanation whatsoever,” shares an exasperated Balakrishna.
Citing Justice GS Patel’s ruling in the Teleshop Teleshopping case in the Bombay High Court that declined to recognise ASCI as a regulator, Balakrishna also added, “That particular Bombay High Court order clearly flayed ASCI for its high handedness despite not being a regulator. In fact, it can’t issue notices against brands that aren’t its members. Patanjali isn’t a member of ASCI so we are not answerable to them.” The company is currently abiding by its policies to take up this matter to court in due time.
To put matters into perspective, Balakrishnan reveals that the Patanjali has received at least more than forty such notices from ASCI within the past two to three months. “What is strange is that we have been making those products mentioned in the notices for almost 15 years now, and the ads have been going around for probably 10 years. Where was ASCI all these years?” asks Balakrishna incredulously.
Balakrishna isn’t against an idea of a government regulatory body that monitors all misleading or objectionable advertisements fairly, allowing a level playing field.
Meanwhile, ASCI has remained silent throughout the entire time. Current ASCI chairman Benoy Roychowdhury refused to comment on the issue when indiantelevision.com reached out to him before filing this story.
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Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
