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BT advert pulled by ASA
Thursday 17th February 2011, by Daniel King
BT has been criticised for running advertisements which offer broadband users a potentially misleading incentive to switch.
The company ran a national press campaign comparing its services to Sky, promoting savings customers could make.
However, the advertisement has been banned by the Advertising Standards Agency following a complaint from Sky about its content.
The ad, which used the headline “Save up to £211 with BT compared to Sky”, was found to be in breach of ASA rules on substantiation, truthfulness and comparisons with identified competitors.
Sky’s main complaint was that BT directly compared a 24-month contract for a TV, telephone and broadband package with a Sky package that was only for 12 months.
Following an investigation, the ASA found that despite clarification in the footnote of the advertisement, the marketing’s content could mislead customers and prevent them from making an informed choice.
Sky also pursued complaints regarding details of the Sky Sports package used in BT comparisons, and the promotional line rental price the firm compared to Sky’s standard fees.
However, the ASA found the advertisement to be within advertising codes of practice in regards to those issues.
In defence of the breach, BT said they compared their longer contract with Sky’s 12-month equivalent due to the fact that they only offer that package in a 24-month contract.
BT argued that Sky only offers packages with 12-month terms, and details of the contract lengths were included in the footnotes of the deal.
The ASA has ruled that the advertisement must not be shown again in its current format.
BT is due to launch a new child safety campaign next month to help parents keep their children safe online.
The company has partnered with McAfee to provide advice and parental control software to BT broadband customers.
Its Family Protection feature will be offered as standard as part of the broadband installation process.
