TalkTalk Telecom Ltd has complained about a series of Virgin Media ads seen in the press this week.
They claim that that Virgin’s ad campaign, headed: “Truth, Lies and Broadband”, was misleading, as it suggests that they are the only truthful broadband company on the market.
Virgin responded by saying that their campaign was intended to draw customers towards their website, and that any inference that broadband providers were untrustworthy would negatively impact public confidence in their own service.
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that despite stating “most broadband companies wouldn’t tell you that” in the ad, Virgin Media were not implying other companies were deceitful.
Also this week, an ad for the Motorola RAZR 2 running in The Daily Telegraph was criticised for glamorizing violence, as it depicts a woman holding a mobile phone at an angle resembling a knife.
Motorola responded by saying that their fantasy characters were not intended to be realistic, and the ASA did not uphold the complaint.
The Daily Telegraph said they considered that their readership would understand the image was a metaphor for sharpness, not a reference to street or gang culture or a glamorization of knife violence.
A Virgin Media spokesperson said: “We are pleased with the ASA’s decision regarding our ‘Truth, Lies and Broadband’ advertising campaign and we continue to do our best to help consumers make informed choices when it comes to choosing a suitable broadband package.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
