ASA Puts Brakes On Nissan And Eurostar Ads
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has put the brakes on Nissan and Eurostar, upholding complaints against Nissan, for an advert which it felt to be “misleading” and against Eurostar, for a poster which, “encouraged readers to act irresponsibly.”
The ASA received a complaint against a magazine advertisement for Nissan cars which read: “The Nissan Almera 1.5E is now available to drive away without having to pay a penny up front. What’s more the Almera range is available with features such as an automatic gear box.” A small print note at the top of the ad stated: “Nil advance payment is available on Almera 1.5E 3/5 door only. Model shown is Almera 1.8 sports+ 3 door for illustration purposes only.”
A complainant, who wanted a car with an automatic gearbox, objected that the advert was misleading because it implied that models with features such as an automatic gearbox were available with no advance payment.
The advertisers explained that the ad introduced readers to two separate offers. One was for no advance payment on the Almera 1.5E only, while the other referred to additional features, such as an automatic gear box, that were available with other models in the Almera range. Nissan said: “The ad made clear the limitations of the no advanced payment offer.”
The ASA concluded, however, that the text and illustration did not make clear that the offer was available on the 1.5E model only. The authority found that the ad was “ambiguous and therefore misleading,” and asked Nissan to amend it with help from the Committee of Advertising Practice Copy Advice team.
The complainant also objected that the car shown in the ad was not the Almera 1.5E and was not therefore available with no advance payment. The advertisers maintained that the small print made clear the fact that the illustration was the Almera 1.8 Sports+, but the ASA found: “The illustration misleadingly implied that the illustrated vehicle was available with no advance payment.” Nissan were asked to ensure that the products illustrated matched the headline claims in the future.
The ASA also received an objection to a poster for Eurostar, which featured three excited-looking young men and stated: “From up for it to out of it via every club in Paris.” The complainant felt that the poster could encourage irresponsible behaviour.
The advertisers said: “The poster was intended to impart a message of fun, spontaneity and enjoyment and did not promote irresponsible behaviour.” However the ASA found that the term “out of it”, encouraged readers not just to visit the clubs of Paris, but to, “drink to excess while doing so.” It concluded that the poster did encourage irresponsible behaviour and told Eurostar not to take a similar approach in the future.
ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk
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