Advertising Standards Council of India has announced that its advertising literacy initiative, AdWise, has reached more than 10.66 lakh students across 2,063 schools in India. The programme, developed by ASCI Academy, was designed to help children understand and critically evaluate modern advertising formats, especially in the digital space where influencer marketing and branded content are increasingly common. The initiative covered schools across 13 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with sessions conducted in eight languages such as Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil and Assamese. Students from Grades 3 to 8 participated in structured classroom sessions focused on identifying advertisements, understanding persuasive messaging and recognising content that mimics promotions.
According to ASCI, assessment results showed a sharp rise in advertising literacy levels after the sessions. Among younger students, recognition of the purpose of advertisements increased from 43 per cent to 94 per cent, while critical thinking about ad claims rose from 39 per cent to 90 per cent. Similar gains were recorded among students from Grades 6 to 8. Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of ASCI, said the programme reflects the growing importance of media and advertising literacy for children exposed to digital content from an early age.
In Kolkata, the programme’s expansion in West Bengal highlights increasing awareness around digital consumption and influencer-driven advertising among urban school students. Industry observers believe such literacy initiatives could play a key role in creating more informed young consumers in emerging digital markets like Kolkata, where online content engagement among children and teenagers continues to rise rapidly.
