We all like to present our best selves but when it comes to avoiding misleading advertising make sure your image reflects reality.
When the ASA assess a complaint about an ad, they don’t look at individual claims in isolation. They assess the ad in its entirety. They have recently investigated a number of complaints where companies’ marketing suggested they were UK-based, when in fact they were based overseas. Here are some of the factors they considered.
Would you Adam and Eve it?
Photos of a London street with a double decker bus, Union Jack flags and red telephone boxes in one ad, and a specific reference to Covent Garden with a location pin in another, all gave the impression of companies operating from London. Neither ad showed their actual location. The Code requires that ads which contain prices must provide material information including the name, business address and business email address of the marketer and any other trader on whose behalf the marketer is acting (Rule 3.4.2).
Would you Eve and Eve it?
With London in their business name and an image of a woman at a sewing machine, a further ad painted the picture of a London-based boutique run for years by two grandmothers, who were offering huge discounts in their closing-down sale. Check out our Country of origin and location claims AdviceOnline to ensure any claims relating to the location or cultural heritage of your brand or company, or the country of origin of your products, don’t mislead consumers.
What’s in a domain name?
Aside from London in the names of the companies, advertisers referred to UK delivery times and Royal Mail delivery, and used email and website addresses to reinforce the impression of a UK-based business. In principle, there is nothing wrong with marketers using a ‘.co.uk’ domain or presenting prices in pounds sterling, even if a company is not based in the UK, but the marketing communication should otherwise make sufficiently clear the country from which the company operates. If in doubt, take a look at our Company names and URLs AdviceOnline.
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