Advertising Standards Authority.

[Phil Pascoe]

Anyone had dealings with them? I reported the adverts for Smart meters a long while ago - they do NOT save electricity. Their use might help you save electricity, but that's not the claim. I was told they wouldn't reply individually as the they'd had so many identical complaints and theat they'd release a statement when ready. I have heard nothing since ....... I can't help wondering whether they've had instructions from on high not to touch it with a bargepole.

I also reported the Vauxhall advert - a British brand since 1903.

I appreciate it's maybe little more than a bit of pedantry, but to me it grates - it hasn't been a British owned company since 1925.
They didn't bother to reply to that one.

 

[doctor Bob]

Can you report McDonalds for me, my burger doesn't look like the advert, mine has been stood on by Geoff Capes.

Also all those adverts for miracle stain removers ...................

 

[Blackswanwood]

I'd suggest writing to your MP as regulators usually sit up and take notice when they get an query form them.

On the Vauxhall point it probably comes down to the distinction between a brand and a company. They've been selling cars in Great Britain since 1903 under the Vauxhall name so arguably it's an accurate statement.

 

[artie]

Vauxhall in UK. Opal in eec and Holden in Australia ???

 

[Peterm1000]

I own a house in Spain. It was owned by a Spanish person when I bought it. It didn't become a British house because it was bought by a British person.

Vauxhall is the GM brand name in the UK only. I think that makes it a British brand.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

On the Vauxhall point it probably comes down to the distinction between a brand and a company. They've been selling cars in Great Britain since 1903 under the Vauxhall name so arguably it's an accurate statement.

Vauxhall is the GM brand name in the UK only. I think that makes it a British brand.

Certainly. I did say maybe it's pedantry. The advert wouldn't mean much, though, if if it said "Vauxhall ... a brand name used in Britain for more than a century for cars made by a foreign company". It's obviously meant to imply it's a British company.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Certainly. I did say maybe it's pedantry. The advert wouldn't mean much, though, if if it said "Vauxhall ... a brand name used in Britain for more than a century for cars made by a foreign company". It's obviously meant to imply it's a British company.

Again, arguably it is a British Company that is a major employer and manufacturer in Britain. It just happens to be a subsidiary of a larger company based overseas. I'm not sure there is much possibility of consumer harm from them choosing to describe themselves that way.

 

[Peterm1000]

Vauxhall Motors Limited is a British company - it's registered with Companies House in the UK. It has been under that name for over 100 years. As someone else has said, it's a major UK employer. It's not owned by a British company but that is true of many, many companies.

I would have thought the Advertising standards agency is suffering staff shortages like everyone because of Covid. I guess that's probably why they didn't respond to you.

I agree on the smart meters thing by the way - there are much smarter ways of monitoring energy usage and the meter in itself does nothing that a speaker repetitively shouting "turn off the lights" wouldn't do!

 

[Jameshow]

I reported clinch the car buying advert which I thought is sexist.

Had the show been on the other foot and blonde essex girl been the butt of jokes it wouldn't have had air time. But if it's white males then that's ok.

Cheers James

 

[Noel]

Certainly. I did say maybe it's pedantry. The advert wouldn't mean much, though, if if it said "Vauxhall ... a brand name used in Britain for more than a century for cars made by a foreign company". It's obviously meant to imply it's a British company.

Vauxhall is owned by PSA.

 

[selectortone]

I reported clinch the car buying advert which I thought is sexist.

Had the show been on the other foot and blonde essex girl been the butt of jokes it wouldn't have had air time. But if it's white males then that's ok.

Cheers James

I emailed Cinch asking them, if it wasn't too much trouble, to tell that bearded bloke who does their TV adverts that in America they say 'Anyways' while here in the UK we say 'Anyway'. I got a very nice reply from Alannah from their Customer Service Team saying "Thank you very much for your email and for reaching out to cinch. I will pass on your feedback to the marketing team."

It gave my daughter a laugh

 

[Blackswanwood]

Vauxhall is owned by PSA.

Who on the 21st January merged with Fiat so are now owned by Stellantis which is the combined holding company and based in the Netherlands

 

[flying haggis]

I have had mixed responses from the ASA and get the impression they dont actually like people complaining about ads as it means they might have to act, and they dont want to upset the advertisers.

As for "new and improved" NO NO NO if its new it cant have been improved and if its improved it isnt new!!!! GRRRRRR!!

 

[artie]

Back in the day when I watched TV, UTV ran an ad which showed four youngster out having a good time in a car, dressed up laughing obviously going somewhere.
Suddenly a car comes round a corner in the opposite direction on the wrong side of the road.
Cue overturning cars etc, shots of bloody seats and injured youngsters.
Cut to a policeman on his radio saying two dead sarg it was the guy in the back not wearing a seatbelt did the damage.

Well pardon me but I think the guy on the wrong side of the road might have had a hand in it.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Advertising appeals to the emotions, to persuade that product A is better than B, and you really, really need it (whatever IT is) to make your life complete.

This is not a game where honesty wins. The winner is the one who best navigates the regulatory icebergs.

Getting a mucky floor clean usually needs more than a swift wipe with a mop. Aftershave doesn't make you a sex object (I tried and failed). Buying the right car won't suddenly equip you with designer house, attractive wife and two beaming kids.

The only thing that may have changed in the last few decades is whether politicians have overtaken advertising agencies in the insincere, selective truth, and moral flexibility stakes.

 

[bryan267]

I complained about the smart meters too. Their reply, in part was as follows.

With regards to the renewable energy claims you highlighted, It may interest you to know that we’ve previously investigated environmental claims made by Smart Energy GB. The full ruling can be found here, however in summary, the ASA Council considered evidence supplied by the advertiser and understood that the data captured and reported by smart meters was intended to help the national grid to anticipate demand and plan energy provision more effectively, with less reliance on fossil fuels. They therefore concluded that the ads were not likely to mislead.
We consider your concerns are substantially similar to those already considered by the ASA Council and as such, we consider that their decision still stands. For those reasons given above, we consider that this ad does not break the rules on the basis you suggest.

 

[Dr Al]

Buying the right car won't suddenly equip you with designer house, attractive wife and two beaming kids.

But it will mean that wherever I drive, there won't be any other traffic on the roads, right?

 

[HappyHacker]

I heard an advert for Dyson for one of their cleaners last night. Apart from having "X air watts of suction" it also subjects the dust to 1,000 G. I thought the 1,000 G was very impressive, I must have one, it must be well on the way to creating a black hole where no dirty dust will escape. I can take over the cleaning world! I may have mis heard as the medication was starting to work but I must go now as the nurses have come to give me some more.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Gambling adverts really annoys me. They create social harm and should be banned imho.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Whilst I agree on one hand, it would be a bit nanny state to ban advertising something that causes absolutely no problem for millions of people. Where does that end?