ASA Censures Offensive Text Message Ad

The ASA has upheld a complaint against a text message advert for a telecommunications company that stated: “You are a dick and I am going to kick your head in ya big useless donkey.”

Recipients complained that the ad, which was intended to encourage mobile users to upgrade their phones, was irresponsible and offensive. The company behind the message made no attempt to justify its actions and has not responded to the ASA.

The Advertising Standards Authority says it is concerned by the advertisers lack of response, which is in itself a breach of the advertising codes, and has reminded them of their responsibility to reply to enquiries.

The authority also considered that the advertisers had not shown how the ad was targeted and concludes that it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence to recipients. It has told the company not to repeat the text message and has asked the Committee of Advertising Practice to inform its members of the problem.

The popularity of SMS advertising is increasing rapidly and whilst the majority of mobile markets act responsibly, the number of complaints relating to SMS ads is growing. A recent survey from BMRB shows that 70% of mobile phone users find text message advertising too intrusive, with 13% of respondents claiming to have received text message ads that were unsolicited (see 70% of Mobile Phone Users Find SMS Ads Intrusive).

ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk

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