Posted: 09th Sep, 2009 By: MarkJ
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint made by BT against a TV advert for Sky Broadband (BSkyB). Sky's advert compared its older 8Mbps package bundle, which included line rental and a free talk calls plan, with BT's Total Broadband Option 2 package.
BT challenged whether the comparison was misleading because the ad failed to mention factors that were included with BTs Total Broadband Option 2 package, which they believed had significant value to consumers, and which would be lost following a 'switch' (350 Wi-Fi minutes, security package, VOIP calls etc.).
ASA Conclusion"We noted the factors of BT's compared product that Sky had already included on the website referred to in the ad and considered that the permanent security package BT offered was an additional factor that should have been drawn to consumers' attention.
Because not all significant information was highlighted either in the ad or by other means, we concluded that the comparison was likely to mislead."
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_46895.htm BT also made two other claims about the savings that Sky had promoted and the use of '
free' to describe evening and weekend calls. Neither of the operators other two complaints were upheld against Sky.