India bans risque male deodorant ads

Indian regulators have ordered television channels not to broadcast "overtly sexual" deodorant commercials that use females models in risque storylines, news reports said Thursday.

Advertisements under the scanner include one in which a woman finds a man's deodorant so attractive that she starts unbuttoning her blouse, and another in which a woman is drawn to her sweet-smelling brother-in-law.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced a crackdown after it found the commercials violated advertising codes, the Financial Express newspaper reported.

"The depiction and portrayal of women in these ads are overtly sexual," the ministry said in a notice quoted by the newspaper.

"The ads brim with messages aimed at tickling the libidinous male instincts and portrayal of women as lustily hankering after men."

It described the adverts as "indecent, vulgar and suggestive."

The ministry told the Advertising Standards Council of India, an independent regulatory body, to ensure the commercials were modified or taken off air.

Brands affected include Wild Stone, Addiction Deo and Axe.

Last year, the ministry suspended the France-based channel Fashion TV for nine days for falling foul of obscenity laws by broadcasting bare-breasted models during a fashion show.

rn/bgs/mtp