Vodafone has been caught out for making unrealistic overclaims by the Promoting Requirements Authority – with assist from whichever eagle-eyed complainants (let’s take a guess at BT Broadband) reported it to the watchdog. In mounting its unsuccessful defence, Vodafone displayed a definite lack of respect for its clients.
A TV and social media advert by Ogilvy – just lately changed by Leo Burnett on artistic duties – has been banned for claiming that Vodafone’s expertise and efficiency match that of BT, and for making the unsubstantiated declare that “tens of millions of BT clients throughout the UK are realising they’ll swap to Vodafone and get the identical broadband for much less.”
Vodafone mentioned that its marketing campaign was all about educating customers on how to save cash and pay much less for a similar service. The telco judged that individuals “fairly often didn’t perceive the technicalities of broadband providers and ended up paying much more for negligible efficiency variations between suppliers.”
An Ofcom 2023 report was used as back-up, however the ASA wasn’t shopping for it and gave customers extra credit score, saying that they might perceive the time period “the identical broadband expertise.”
The advert was banned for breaking a protracted checklist of guidelines, usually greater than as soon as: breaching the BCAP Code, substantiation, comparability with identifiable opponents, worth comparisons, and deceptive customers.
Vodafone had two advertisements banned in 2023, two in 2022 and two in 2021. Can they handle to maintain it down to simply the as soon as this yr, now that Leo Burnett is in cost? The company’s first marketing campaign featured an affable Roman Kemp in an ice cream van and restricted claims to non-committal concepts about “connecting” individuals and being “the nation’s community,” however they could be required to enter extra controversial territory with a more durable promote earlier than too lengthy.
