This weeks rulings have been published. The following advertisers have been formally investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Rulings for: 14 June 2017
- A Share & Sons Ltd t/a ScS – Upheld
An in-store promotional poster for discounted sofas, seen 12 January 2017, stated “Double Discount Sale Last Few Days”…
- British Telecommunications plc t/a BT – Upheld in part
Four ads for the BT Smart Hub, seen in July and August 2016:
a. A TV ad featured Ryan Reynolds, who stated “Introducing the new BT Smart Hub. With the UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal, it can reach some serious distance”. On-screen text at the beginning of the ad stated “UK’s most powerful Wi-Fi signal versus major broadband providers”. Ryan Reynolds then held on to the bottom of a helicopter as it took off. The characters in the helicopter asked him if he had wi-fi at 150 meters, then at 200 meters, and he stated that he had. A voice-over and on screen text then stated “BT Infinity, The UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal”.
b. A Youtube ad was identical to ad (a).
c. A web page on the BT website www.bt.com, described the BT Smart Hub and featured text stating “The UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal”. Further text stated “Our Hub gives you better wi-fi coverage … It can give you faster wi-fi connections in more rooms than the latest hubs from other major UK broadband providers”.
d. A radio ad stated “Hi, I’m Ryan Reynolds and I’m here to talk to you about the new BT Smart Hub with the UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal. I’d say outside it could reach the length of at least 12 London buses … BT Infinity, the UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal. Visit bt.com/smarthub to find out more. UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal versus major broadband providers. To verify go to bt.com/smarthub. Performance varies by hub position”…
A property listing by Ashbury Residential on the website www.rightmove.co.uk for a “1 bedroom apartment to rent”, seen on 22 February 2017. Under the heading “key features”, the listing included the claims “integrated audio system” and “Gated Access & TV”. Further text sta…
- DSG Retail Ltd t/a Currys – Upheld
The website www.currys.co.uk, seen on 16 December, included a product listing for a laptop. The ad featured the claim “£949.99” with “Save £200” below. Smaller grey text below stated “Was £1,149.99 (from 25/10/16 to 14/11/16)”…
- Global Brands Ltd t/a VK – Upheld
A Facebook ad by VK, an alcoholic beverage brand, dated 8 March 2017, featured an image of a group of young people dancing during a typical club scene. The image showed several people with their heads tilted back, drinking from bottles of VK. At the top of the image, text stated “drinkaware.co.uk for the facts”. The…
- Health Lottery ELM Ltd – Upheld
A TV ad for the Health Lottery, seen in February 2017, featured various people who had won and featured a man who stated, “I would encourage anyone to go out and buy a Health Lottery ticket. You’ve a very good chance of winning …”.
- Pile Height Ltd t/a Turf Group – Upheld
An ad for Revo Turf, an artificial grass supplier and installer, seen in the landscape gardening trade magazine Pro Landscaper on 4 April 2017, featured an image of a woman’s legs from the knee down. Her legs were bare and she was wearing high heels, and standing on artificial grass. Large text stated “The best way …
- Prezzo Ltd t/a Prezzo – Upheld
Promotional marketing from pizza chain Prezzo, seen in February and March 2017, offered unlimited prosecco with a meal.
a. An email sent 28 February 2017 was headlined “Prosecco Pay Day has arrived …”. It featured a photo of three people smiling and clinking glasses. Text stated “#PROSECCOPAYDAY IS BACK. BOTTOMLESS PROSECCO FOR £15pp … It’s Pay Day, Bottomless Prosecco is back! … Grab your friends, partners & colleagues, head to Prezzo & party with bottomless Prosecco for only £15pp … T&C’s apply”. The terms and conditions, which appeared on a separate web page, stated “Your code entitles you to free flowing Prosecco for 2 hours for £15 per person. Each person must purchase a main dish … Prosecco will be served by the glass and will continue to be topped up when you finish each glass. We reserve the right to refuse alcohol beverage service to anyone who appears intoxicated”.
b. An email sent 1 March 2017 stated “BOTTOMLESS FOR £15PP … Get your code to enjoy bottomless Prosecco for £15 per person when purchased with any main dish”. The following terms were included in the email, in smaller text “Your code entitles you to free flowing Prosecco for 2 hours for £15 per person. Each person must purchase a main dish. Valid at Prezzo Restaurants only. Prosecco will be served by the glass and will continue to be topped up when you finish each glass. We reserve the right to refuse alcohol beverage service to anyone who appears intoxicated”.
c. An email sent 3 March 2017, featured an image of prosecco cascading into several glasses. Text stated “Celebrate Friday, Pay Week and the start of March with bottomless Prosecco for only £15pp. Grab your friends, partners and colleagues and head to Prezzo. #ProseccoPayDay … T&C’s apply”…
- The Law Society of England and Wales – Not Upheld
A web page on the Law Society website www.lawsociety.org.uk, seen in November 2016, describing the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation, stated “All Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme firms go through rigorous examination and testing to demonstrate that they have a high level of knowledge, skills, ex…
- We Buy Any Car Ltd – Not Upheld
Two TV ads for We Buy Any Car, seen in January and February 2017:
a. The first ad featured a man speaking to the camera about how it was possible to save time when selling a vehicle through We Buy Any Car. The man stated “I’m going to say something radical in this advert for WeBuyAnyCar.com. I might have got more money for my car, if I’d sold it privately. Yeah I said it. But I asked myself, how much do I value my time? Am I gonna put up with all that hassle for a bit more money? Would you?” The final scene featured a voice-over which stated, “Value your time? Enter your reg number now at WeBuyAnyCar.com, the UK’s favourite car buying service.”
b. The second ad featured a woman speaking to the camera about her experience using We Buy Any Car. The woman stated, “Right, brace yourself, this may shock you. I just sold my car with WeBuyAnyCar.com even though I might have got a better price if I sold it privately. Yeah they just let me say that in an ad for WeBuyAnyCar.com ’cause they know quite a lot of us value our time more than a few extra quid. Do you?” The final scene featured a voice-over which stated, “Value your time? Enter your reg number now at WeBuyAnyCar.com, the UK’s favourite car buying service.”…
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: 07 June 2017