Iron men, or feet of clay?

If you really feel the urge to milk something, go find a cow,” read the rather terse headline of a print ad issued by a leading newspaper on March 20.

- ANUJA CHAUHAN

Accompanied by the image of a scowling bovine, it went on to state that the publication would not carry any ad that seemed to take advantage of the panic around the coronavirus pandemic for personal or material gain. However, if the messaging was responsible, considerate and empathetic towards the situation, the publication would be more than happy to carry it.

This came a couple of days after Arihant Mattress claimed its mattresses to be ‘anti-coronavirus’ and Patanjali’s Baba Ramdev claimed that its Giloy remedy could fight the virus. Such ads have prompted the self-regulating advertising industry watchdog, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), to issue a statement that it would be taking action against companies that make unsubstantiated and irresponsible claims.

Every crisis is also a time of great opportunity, and there is nothing wrong with seizing that opportunity, but it cannot be denied that it is very difficult in these confusing times to figure exactly where the line between filling a genuine demand and the greed for profit or popularity begins to blur. And, there is no ASCI to regulate personal behaviour here—we have to regulate it ourselves.