ASA Weekly Rulings Published

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NEWS
Published
May 31st '17
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This weeks rulings have been published. The following advertisers have been formally investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Rulings for: 31 May 2017

A web page describing Damon dental braces, seen on www.15dental.com in December 2016, stated “Three key components, which when used together, deliver faster treatment, fewer appointments, greater comfort, and consistent high-quality results: 1. Damon passive self-ligating braces that eliminate the need for elastic o…

A Facebook post for Covesca seen on 20 January 2017, advertised an Oilslick 5’5” Eggbut Single Jointed Snaffle horse bit coated in a titanium mixture, which included the text “best of all they actually help your horse to perform to their maximum potential, this is all thanks to our titanium mixture which all our Cov…

A TV ad for Oak Furniture Land, seen on 25 January 2017, showed a man wearing an Oak Furniture Land badge arriving home in the evening to a well-furnished home, reclining on a sofa and then getting into bed ready for sleep. The voice-over referred to the Oak Furniture Land winter sale and being able to furnish a who…

A radio ad for Jet2.com Ltd, heard between February and March 2017. The voice-over stated, “With Jet2.com you can choose from 58 amazing destinations including daily flights to Alicante, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga and Majorca. You can fly from as little as £42 – plus, enjoy a huge 22 kg baggage allowance. No wonder we’ve b…

A web page describing Damon braces, seen on www.metamorphosisorthodontics.com in December 2016, stated “Damon braces offer a new generation of treatments including Damon 3 braces, Damon Q (where brackets are smaller and more discreet) and Damon Clear braces (virtually invisible) which all produce results fast! Conve…

A TV ad for Broncho Stop cough syrup, seen on 5 January 2017, had a voice-over which stated, “Ever wondered why you have so many cough products? One in three people don’t even know what type of cough they have. Broncho Stop. Our first traditional herbal treatment to relieve any cough. It contains a unique combi…

Two radio ads for telecommunications provider Plusnet, heard on 3 March 2017:

a. The first radio ad promoted a broadband package offer. The voice-over stated, “If you’re after a great deal on broadband, Plusnet is here to help. Unlimited broadband and line rental from just £18 a month, for 18 months. Plus a one-off £10 activation fee … Get unlimited broadband and line rental from one simple monthly price of just £18. Now with £50 cashback. Offer ends 14th of March. Visit Plus.net now. Plusnet, we’ll do you proud. Prices may change. 18 month contract. New customers in low cost areas only. Traffic prioritisation applies. See plus.net/traffic. Terms apply.”

b. The second radio ad promoted a mobile tariff offer. The voice-over stated, “Pump up your mobile people. Plusnet have an amazing £7.50 plan. Now with double data. 2 gig data, 1,000 minutes, unlimited texts, £7.50 a month. That’s more mobile than your hand can handle. Pick from a range of new 4G sim only plans on flexible 30 day contracts. All backed up by Plusnet’s brilliant customer service. Visit Plus.net/mobile today. Plusnet, we’ll do you proud. Standard UK minutes and texts. Prices may change. Rolling monthly contract. Offer ends 14th of March. Terms apply. See Plus.net/mobile.”

A website for StreamZ dog collars, www.streamz-global.com, seen on 10 October 2016 stated that StreamZ collars had achieved success “on horses and humans”; would support a range of medical conditions including “Mobility and fitness, injured and aching muscles, energy levels and vitality, digestion issues, general ha…

A TV ad for William Hill, seen in January 2017, showed bartage of horseracing. A voice-over said, “One in three jumps races last season were won by five or more lengths. Bet on any jumps race on a Friday or a Saturday. If the race is won by five or more lengths and you back the winner, you get a 25% free bet bonus o…

Two 27-minute long-form TV ads called “the IT Factor” by Etna World Trade Consortium, a consortium that promoted Italian goods and culture abroad, seen on 14 November 2016:

a. The first ad, seen at 8.00pm, began with what appeared to be a seven-second sponsorship credit which featured an image of the Etna World Trade Logo in the corner of the ad. There was then a 60-second opening title sequence which featured the title “the IT Factor”, and included on-screen text stating “Advertisement feature” for the first six seconds. The ad featured a number of different segments about various different Italian-based beauty-related products. The segments included interviews with members of the public, a beauty and make-up expert, a store manager and an Italian manufacturer. After approximately every 80 seconds, the on-screen text “Advertisement feature” appeared for around five seconds. During the middle of the ad, the sponsorship credits re-appeared, followed by the London Live logo and music. There then followed a traditional ad-break including a number of traditional short third-party ads and a promotion for a London Live TV programme, before the sponsorship credits again. After 27 minutes, the ad ended with closing credits.

b. The second ad, which was seen at 8:30pm, followed the same structure as the first ad with a focus on bartwear. It also contained an opening title sequence, closing credits, a traditional ad-break in the middle of the ad and what appeared to be sponsorship credits at the beginning. During approximately every 80 seconds, the ad featured on-screen text which stated “advertisement feature”.

The EPG (electronic programme guide) listing for both ads stated “Skilled artisanship with exceptional cultural heritage, IT Factor showcases Italian influence on London from fashion to cutting-edge technology, the aroma of our coffee & icons of design. Ad feature”.

 

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.

If you are unsure how your activities fit within the rules, please take advantage of our Bespoke Advert Review service. Our fast and confidential service is essential for advertisers, agencies, media owners/providers, who want to check how their prospective advertisements (broadcast and non-broadcast) measure up against the UK Advertising Codes.

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