[3g-g]

Taken from the Guardian today, tut tut Vodafone. I don't doubt your coverage for one minute, but running a campaign all on your own stats and figures and not against the other networks figures? Rather unfair if I do say so. Although, maybe when you're as big as Voda you can do what you please?


Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone company, has been censured by the advertising watchdog for claiming to be "best in Britain bar none". The Advertising Standards Authority said a poster campaign which promoted its call success rate was misleading. Vodafone produced two posters based on its own independently audited call tests carried out over six months last year. The two posters, claiming it was "the best in Britain bar none" and "best in London bar none", were plastered on buses and outdoor poster sites. The ASA is understood to have ruled that the wording would be interpreted as claiming Vodafone is generally superior to all other networks.

[Ben]

That sounds like it's just misleading because the poster generalises that Vodafone is better than all the other networks, not better just in terms of call success rates.

I must say... I don't question Vodafone's claim for a minute either though!

[3GScottishUser]

Careful the ASA have not yet finalised this adjudication and The Gusrdian report refers to a 'Draft' adjudication which Vodafone have a right to respond to. So 'not guilty' is the verdict so far however they like all the other mobile companies may end up being rebuked.

It is notewrorthy they willl join 3 UK and Orange who have both had campaigns rebuked this year if the judgement finally goes against them.

[Hands0n]

"The ASA is understood to have ruled that the wording would be interpreted as claiming Vodafone is generally superior to all other networks. "

Oh for pity's sake! Whats the matter with the ASA, and the people who complained too.

Of course Vodafone is claiming that "it is generally superior to all other networks". Thats the whole point of the advert.

Isn't that the whole point of advertising one's product? "Buy mine 'cos its better than everyone elses" Then it is up to the individual to choose whether or not to believe it!! Caveat emptor and all that jazz. I buy Special K but don't look like that bird in the TV advert!!! Should I complain to the ASA??

I'm deleriously happy about it, and I don't even have a Vodafone contract! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, ASA, busibodies with now't better to do with their day. Should have summarily thrown the complaints out and told the complainers to go get a life!

*Bangs head against wall*
[/RANT OVER]

[Ben]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/13/vodafone_o2/


Vodafone has been shamed for calling its service "the best...bar none".

Rival operator O2 got the hump with two poster ads which stated that Vodafone had the "best call success rate of any mobile GSM network" and was the "Best in Britain bar none".

O2 challenged Vodafone's claim believing that the call success rate on which the claims were based "was not sufficient to justify the general superiority claim for mobile network performance".

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld the complaint saying that Vodafone could not make such a "general superiority claim over the other mobile networks".

So yeah, they got done over it. Perhaps someone should get O2 done for their claim 'See what you can do' making it sound like you can use their network for something more exciting than calls and oodles of free texts ;) Ah well, all's fair in network-love and network-war.

No.. but really.. "general superiority claim" - isn't Vodafone generally superior though? :S

[Hands0n]

Yes, Vodafone are generally superior in a number of ways, not the least being their very obvious international presence and availability, for instance.

From here on in no-one can advertise anything at all saying that they are "the best". All it would take is for a complaint citing the Vodafone adjudication and the ASA would have to uphold it or be seen to be hypocritical at best.

Surely, the whole point of advertising is to convince the buying public to buy into the product. They should not use blatant lies of course - but in this particular case there is no particular harm done given the nature of cellular networks. What were Vodafone supposed to do, collect call success evidence from all of the networks over a period of the past two decades?

Surely O2 could simply have competed (instead of complaining) by launching a rival advertising campaign, perhaps even ridiculing Vodafone's ads?

Another victory for the continuing loss of common sense.