Students’ contest on good, bad ads

JANUARY 27: For the first time, in an inter-school contest a group of Std VIII students will judge the quality of ads telecast in India on February 6.The contest called Good Ad, Bad Ad’ is being organised by consumer body Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) in association with UNICEF.

“This is an attempt to study child psychology through their preferences and other social trends if any,” Arvind Dighe, co-ordinator of the contest, told Newsline. Contestants from English and Marathi medium schools will be shown about 70 to 80 advertisements that are currently on air. A very western concept, the contest aims to study what exactly impresses children.

They will be expected to rate the ads as very good, good, okay and very bad. They will be asked to choose one very good and a very bad advertisement and give reasons for their choice.

In its campaign against objectionable ads, MGP had pulled up the Essel World advertisement in which a child says that he dislikes his father because he doesn’t take him to EsselWorld. On several occasions, the forum had brought liquor ads to the notice of the advertisement councils.