This weeks rulings have been published. The following advertisers have been formally investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Rulings for: 02 August 2017
- 24-trending.com t/a Support Diabetes – Upheld
A paid-for social media post for Support Diabetes, seen on 5 April 2017, contained text that stated “Could this #Oximeter be of use to any of your loved ones? #Diabetes #Highbloodpressure. Tag someone you know, this Pulse Oximeter might come in handy! Click Here –> [URL] Click Here –> [URL] Share – This…
- Bonne Terre Ltd t/a Sky Bingo – Upheld
An advertorial seen on DailyTopLinks.com promoting Sky Bingo Casino featured text that stated, “EXCLUSIVE REPORT: ABERDEEN CITY MCDONALD’S EMPLOYEE WINS £296,121 ON HER LUNCH BREAK …”. Slightly below this was smaller text that stated “Published on 24-01-2017 By Christine Perry, D…
- Both Lives Matter – Not Upheld
A poster by the pro-life campaign group Both Lives Matter, which appeared in two locations in Northern Ireland in January 2017, featured the claim “100,000 PEOPLE ARE ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE OF OUR LAWS ON ABORTION. Why change that?”. Smaller text stated “Stand with us. BOTHLIVESMATTER.ORG”. The ad a…
- Citroen UK Ltd – Not Upheld
A TV ad and a radio ad for the Citroen C3 car seen in December 2016 and heard on 13 February 2017 respectively:
a. The TV ad showed a man using a built-in camera just in front of the rear view mirror of a car to take photographs of landmarks, images and letters. The ad showed him sending them to a woman’s phone to spell out the words “Marry me?” The voice-over stated “Share what you see, with connected cam Citroen”.
b. The radio ad featured a couple driving in a car. A man (who was not driving) pointed out a singer that his partner liked, saying “Eyes on the road” and “Don’t look, drive”. The voice-over stated “The new Citroen C3 with connected cam Citroen … share images and video on social media. And bartage captured could help in the event of an accident.” A speeded-up voice-over at the end stated “Connected cam Citroen standard on selected models only. Terms and conditions apply. Always drive responsibly and only operate the camera when not driving.”
- Clear Score Technology Ltd – Not Upheld
A TV ad for Clear Score, a credit checking service, seen in March 2017. The ad showed a man in the bath, using a mobile phone to check his credit score.
A leaflet for Hungry Horse Pub, seen on 11 May 2017, promoted a special offer for the re-opening of a pub. The front page of the leaflet stated “WITH TWO GREAT OFFERS £5 OFF AND A FREE DRINK”. The back of the leaflet contained information about the terms and conditions of the offer which included a…
- JB Global Ltd t/a Oak Furniture Land – Not Upheld
Three ads for the furniture store, Oak Furniture Land, seen in May 2016:
a. A TV ad featured two characters who repeated the phrase “No veneer in ‘ere” three times as they walked round a furniture store and appeared to examine different furniture. The voice-over described the advertiser’s products as “Solid hardwood dining sets”. One of the characters then said “Always remember to ask, ‘Is there any veneer in here?’”
b. A YouTube ad which featured the same two characters as ad (a). They walked round the furniture store, examined different pieces of furniture and stated “No veneer in ‘ere”. One of the characters then swung his arms round in a circular motion, raised his voice and said “No veneer in ‘ere”. The voice-over stated “100% solid hardwood furniture”. The ad featured a sign “No veneer in ‘ere!” on the store’s entrance, as one of the characters said “No veneer in ‘ere”. The ad ended with text “100% Solid”.
c. The FAQ section of the advertiser’s website featured the question “Is your furniture really 100% solid hardwood?”. The response stated “All of our cabinet furniture is made from 100% solid hardwood from top to toe; veneer, plywood and chipboard are never used”. Further text stated “As our adverts say – There’s no veneer in ‘ere. The timbers used have been kiln dried using state of the art technology which ensures minimal movement and means, if looked after correctly, your furniture will last for years to come”.
- LG Electronics U.K. Ltd – Not Upheld
A product listing for a TV, seen on www.lg.com in November 2016, stated “LG 43UH668V Smart 4k Ultra HD HDR 43″ LED TV”. The “Display” section of the product description stated “Resolution 3840 x 2160”.
- The George Pub and Grill – Upheld
A post on The George Pub and Grill’s Facebook page seen on 15 May 2017 stated, “WOULD YOU PUNCH YOUR EX IN THE FACE FOR A PARMO?”.
ASA adjudications provide important guidance to advertisers on how the Advertising Codes are to be interpreted. They act as a transparent record of their policy for consumers, media, government, industry and society at large on what is and isn’t acceptable in advertising.
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Previous rulings: 26 July 2017