Ads for Lidl, Hertz, Waterford City & County Council, Pure Pharmacy and Linenbundle were amongst 16 advertisements which were found to be in breach of the ASAI code, according to the latest Complaints bulletin published by the advertising watchdog.
In all, 16 ads were found to be in breach of the ASAI Code on grounds related to principles / misleading, promotional marketing practices, substantiation / health & beauty, recognisability, nutrition and health claims. According to the ASAI, 13 of the 16 advertisements were found to have been in full breach of the ASAI Code. One of the 16 advertisements was found to have been partly in breach, one was found to have been in breach on one of two issues, and an intra industry complaint was found to be in breach on one of two issues raised.
The ads complained of related to social media, direct mail, online (Influencer’s social media account), online (3rd party website), national press, social media (advertiser’s own page) as well as online (company’s own website).
“The latest complaints bulletin from the ASAI illustrates our ability to handle complaints across a variety of platforms, and demonstrates how we ensure that ads in Ireland stick to the advertising rules. The main role of advertising self-regulatory organisations (SROs), such as the ASAI, is to ensure that ads and other marketing communications are legal, truthful, decent and honest, prepared with a sense of social responsibility to the consumer and society and with proper respect for the principles of fair competition,” says Orla Twomey, chief executive of the ASAI.
“The ASAI is committed to protecting society in relation to advertising across all mediums. Self-regulatory ad standards provide an additional layer of consumer protection which complements legislative controls and offers an easily accessible means of resolving disputes. The ASAI provide a free and confidential copy advice service to the advertising industry to help them create responsible ads. If an advertiser, agency or medium has any concerns about a marketing communications’ compliance with the ASAI’s Code, they can contact us and avail of the free and confidential copy advice service,” she adds.
“Over the past few years, the Complaints Committee, comprised of independent and industry members, has dealt with a broad range of complaints. The Complaints Committee has also spent considerable time highlighting awareness, through its adjudications, to advertising best practice within the advertising industry, ensuring all relevant parties are equipped with the knowledge and resources to correctly identify commercial marketing content across their platforms,” adds Brian O’Gorman, Independent Head of the Complaints Committee of the ASAI.
