ITC Raps Sainsbury’s For Misleading Ads

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has upheld complaints against an advertisement for Sainsbury’s, which claimed that checkout staff would pack customers’ shopping.

Three viewers complained that their local Sainsbury’s had explained that they only packed the first three items. Another three viewers said it was only the first four items while one viewer maintained it was only the first item.

Sainsbury’s argued that there were no claims in the advertisement to suggest that employees would pack all of a customer’s purchases. A spokesperson claimed that: “Shop staff always, during the transaction, scan and pack the first few items into the carrier bag”.

However, the ITC concluded that the ads suggested that Sainsbury’s would pack all shopping and not just the first few items. It therefore decided the advert was misleading and should not be shown again in its current form.

The ad featured Jamie Oliver, who recently renewed his contract as the face of Sainsbury’s. The celebrity chef’s campaign took second place in the Ads That Make The News Survey last year (see Beckham Tops 2002 Ads In The News Survey).

ITC: 0207 306 7743 www.itc.org.uk

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