Green code

APPEARANCE is definitely more important than substance, or so our advertisers believe. They have adopted a 'green code' which determines the aesthetics of outdoor advertising. For instance, a hoarding cannot come up near or on a protected monument. The Indian Society of Advertisers, the Advertising Agencies Association of India and associations of hoarding contractors are signatories to this code. All in all, the code will merely ensure that ugly hoardings will not spoil a pretty view, but will not bar advertisers from pushing environmentally-harmful products.

Also catching the green fever is Godrej Soaps. The company has launched 'Godrej Ganga', a soap made from Ganga water. The soap's direct selling point is giving consumers a chance of having the traditional purifying ganga snaan in the privacy of their own bathrooms. The company will use one per cent of the income from this soap, totalling Rs 20 lakh annually, for "raising environmental awareness among people living along the Ganga". Godrej defends this 'eco-friendly' project saying this soap is environmentally friendly as it degrades a few days after use. It remains to be seen whether a new product can sell enough to raise the Rs 20 lakh which will help Godrej soaps keep its green promise.