What will it take to create a culture of responsibility in advertising?
Subhash Kamath, Piyush Pandey, Vikram Sahay, Sudhanshu Vats and Atul Khosla sit down for a panel discussion at the launch of ASCI Academy
On Monday, ASCI unveiled ASCI Academy, an initiative aimed at amplifying the advertising industry's capacity to create more responsible and progressive campaigns. On the occasion, a panel discussion was held on the topic, ‘culture of responsibility - what will it take?’.
The panel was chaired by Subhash Kamath, brand consultant and mentor. The panellists were Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman of India of Ogilvy; Vikram Sahay, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Sudhanshu Vats, Deputy Managing Director at Pidilite Industries Limited; and Atul Khosla, Vice Chancellor at Shoolini University.
The veterans discussed why is it important to have checks and balances in place while being creative and how brands can contribute to creating a learning atmosphere for the ad industry.
Vats said, “I think being responsible as a brand is extremely important. Brands have the role to stretch the creative envelope and brands have the role to show a mirror to the society. You have to be legally compliant, but you also have to be responsible. And if you're not responsible, you throw away something to ring bells in a big way. Brand reputations, which are built over years, can be easily lost.”
Pandey shared, “To be really honest, there's no common skill. I go back to David Ogilvy saying ‘any stuff that you would like your family to see’. Don’t make it so serious, balance it out. I don't want anyone to be incorrect. I don't want this industry to get a bad name. I don't want my ad to be pulled out. Because I want my ad to run. The beautiful way of playing a diverse suite is to be within the rules. So that's what I would suggest,” he said.
Putting forth the government’s point of view, Sahay said, “When we came to know about ASCI Academy, we wanted to support it. It's very important that we tell people or those in the corporate filed about the norms that have to be followed in general. Terms which are expressed in the guidelines have been beautifully taken out under the Consumer Protection Act and under the CTN Act.”
Khosla wished ASCI all the best. “My dream for you there should be an ASCI university,” he mentioned.
Concluding the discussion, Pandey said, “Let's put it right together in a fair balance of getting it right. And getting it beautiful.”
