Annoying television adverts...

[DelW]

Gold Top was the milk with a very high cream content. Remember when milk came in glass bottles with a layer of cream at the top?

I do, but that only needs me to remember back to last Tuesday

Semi-skimmed in tea and coffee, but non-homogenised whole on my breakfast cereal for me!

 

[Pete_uk]

Love a drop of Jersey Gold top on my Cornflakes

 

[styles]

How strict is the Advertising Standards Authority in ensuring its guidelines are followed? I believe that recently they censured a company for having unhealthily thin model pictures.

This has been a topic slowly bubbling up for a while.

We have a lot of adverts now which feature obese models (usually female).

On the one hand, promoting body positivity is hailed as a success. Certainly I think consensus is people should be happy with the body they have and be able to find clothes they feel confident in.

On the other hand, it could be argued it is hypocritical to censure advertisers for having underweight models while allowing them to have class III obese models.

There's probably a fair bit of nuance behind this which will get missed. Society often sees underweight people as suffering from a mental health problem or an eating disorder. While being overweight is seen more as a choice. I don't really believe UK society has accepted that a lot of obese people in particular are obese being of underlying mental health problems or eating disorders, and that they likely need CBT, REBT, talking therapy etc much like underweight people are offered; as opposed to a leaflet describing calories-in-calories-out.

I don't really know how I feel about the ASA policing the weight/size of models in adverts. But I suspect I would err on the side of saying they either shouldn't get involved, or should get involved on both 'sides' as it were.

As for enforcement, compliance with ASA rulings is very high. Companies don't want the bad PR of going against the rulings. I believe the ASA can issue take down notices to platforms of advertisers ignore rulings and follow up requests to take action, but not sure how often this happens, or how legally enforceable they are.

 

[Ashley Hill]

We have a lot of adverts now which feature obese models (usually female).

I am not going to complain about that, but it is good that advertising companies are accepting that not all women are a size 10.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is it an offence to take away with force, an announcement microphone from a member of the cabin staff who was using it and announce an important message needed to be put forward, but then only spent time talking about a payment facility?

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I am not going to complain about that, but it is good that advertising companies are accepting that not all women are a size 10.

In a recent visit to Wyhenshawe shopping precinct, I saw more than one example of a young woman in her 20s with lycra clothing that brought to mind the name of a long-closed railway station...Six Mile Bottom.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Is it an offence to take away with force, an announcement microphone from a member of the cabin staff who was using it and announce an important message needed to be put forward, but then only spent time talking about a payment facility?

It certainly is an offence and I'm surprised that advertisement hasn't been pulled by the ASA.

Only 6 weeks to go before the total ban on junk-food television advertising before 21:00. I'll be on to the ASA if I see any infringements.

 

[styles]

It certainly is an offence and I'm surprised that advertisement hasn't been pulled by the ASA.

Adverts are allowed to show criminal activity.

See also: the AA advert which features people robbing a bank.

There is separate legislation to deal with people inciting crime.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Adverts are allowed to show criminal activity.

See also: the AA advert which features people robbing a bank.

There is separate legislation to deal with people inciting crime.

Would it be the case then that adverts do not incite weak-minded and easily-led people to involve themselves in criminal activities?

 

[styles]

Would it be the case then that adverts do not incite weak-minded and easilt-led people to involve themselves in criminal activities?

I don't work for the ASA, but I highly doubt the advert in question could be seen as encouraging people to take over the PA systems on planes. That's.. obviously not ok.

I don't actually know what advert this is mind.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Cant believe that the Lynx Lower Body Spray advert isn't attracting complaints, sniffing of strangers nether regions isn't something I would expect to see on TV

One of my neighbours, an octogenarian like me, who was for many years a head teacher in a large secondary school, in a discussion about TV adverts, raised the subjuct of a young man leaving his cinema seat and being closely followed by a girl who was moving along bent over with her nose close to the man's rectum area.

She wonders if this had actually taken place in a place open to the general public such as a cinema, would the offence of "outraging public decency" stil be an indictable offence on the statute book.

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I don't work for the ASA, but I highly doubt the advert in question could be seen as encouraging people to take over the PA systems on planes. That's.. obviously not ok.

I don't actually know what advert this is mind.

The advert was for Pay Pal.

 

[styles]

The advert was for Pay Pal.

Just watched it.

Banning that would be the definition of nanny state.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just watched it.

Banning that would be the definition of nanny state.

Do airline staff not have protection afforded to them in their Conditions of Employment when a passenger forcibly takes an item of communication from them. Is such a matter as shown in the advert not an example of a criminal act being carried out, not as a matter of passenger safety information, but purely to tell of a totally unrelated matter of commerce and would the said commercial organisation be liable to stricture.

I know supermarkets are a different industry, but there have been an increasing number of their staff being manhandled by shoppers.

 

[styles]

Do airline staff not have protection afforded to them in their Conditions of Employment when a passenger forcibly takes an item of communication from them. Is such a matter as shown in the advert not an example of a criminal act being carried out, not as a matter of passenger safety information, but purely to tell of a totally unrelated matter of commerce and would the said commercial organisation be liable to stricture.

I know supermarkets are a different industry, but there have been an increasing number of their staff being manhandled by shoppers.

Yes it's almost certainly a criminal offence.

But much like the bank robbery in the AA advert, showing a 'comedy' (depends on your idea of comedy) sketch where somebody commits an offence isn't a reason to ban an advert.

People aren't manhandling staff in Asda because it's been comically portrayed in an advert.

 

[IanD]

It certainly is an offence and I'm surprised that advertisement hasn't been pulled by the ASA.

Only 6 weeks to go before the total ban on junk-food television advertising before 21:00. I'll be on to the ASA if I see any infringements.

It should be a criminal offence to feature Will Ferrel in any advertising campaign.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Do Tesco really have some customers at checkout areas who certainly do very strange things that some in the TV adverts portray?

It would be interesting to note what would be the case if those same people went on to the nearest Currys store, when the bearded or the inflatable staff were on duty...

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As for enforcement, compliance with ASA rulings is very high. Companies don't want the bad PR of going against the rulings. I believe the ASA can issue take down notices to platforms of advertisers ignore rulings and follow up requests to take action, but not sure how often this happens, or how legally enforceable they are.

What are your views on the reasons put foward by the ASA for the recent banning of the Sanex shower gel advert? Surely Sanex would have been aware of the implications.

 

[styles]

What are your views on the reasons put foward by the ASA for the recent banning of the Sanex shower gel advert? Surely Sanex would have been aware of the implications.

Seems like a reach to say, "the depiction of dark skin as dry, cracked and itchy 'could be interpreted as suggesting that white skin was superior to black skin'".

Also seems stupid for Sanex to respond by saying they were trying to show a 'before and after', when they quite obviously could've used the same actor/actress for both.. before and after.

In particular, the ASA's own code which they've applied here has regard to 'serious or widespread offence'. Are people 'seriously and widespread' offended by this? I highly doubt it. 2 people complained. But hey, I'm a white male who doesn't have dry skin, so I'm probably not the person to ask.

 

[Mr. SW]

Many years ago there was a TV ad for fish fingers in which the male protagonist made a sandwich by carefully laying two of the piscine goujons au gratin on a slice of bread then laid a third digit of breaded teleostic flesh on top at a deliberate angle and finished it off by placing a second slice of bread on top, followed by pressing it down with a hand. This was all done quite deliberately and annoyed me no end. If you're going to take as much care and attention over a fish finger sandwich, you would have laid the cuboid prisms of pollock neatly and then you wouldn't need to press down on the sandwich in the first place!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

After seeing TV adverts for Maryland Cookies which purport to show what these appear to be like, on my last visit to the local store, I bought a packet of them, which had the same type of outer packaging shown in the TV advert.

However, when I opened the packet, the items inside bore no resemblance whatsoever to the smooth ones that were shown in the TV advert, but were a rough surfaced items that had obviously gone wrong in the baking. I very much doubt that anyone would be rushing from the garden to have some of these as was portrayed in the TV advert.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

After seeing TV adverts for Maryland Cookies which purport to show what these appear to be like...

Clearly disappointing, but fairly sure if you were to contact the Fox's Burton's Companies team in Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 5JE (= UK manufacturers of 'Maryland Cookies') you'd likely get all your money back and also possibly a little bit more as well.

 

[styles]

After seeing TV adverts for Maryland Cookies which purport to show what these appear to be like, on my last visit to the local store, I bought a packet of them, which had the same type of outer packaging shown in the TV advert.

However, when I opened the packet, the items inside bore no resemblance whatsoever to the smooth ones that were shown in the TV advert, but were a rough surfaced items that had obviously gone wrong in the baking. I very much doubt that anyone would be rushing from the garden to have some of these as was portrayed in the TV advert.

Is this an advert for cookies different to the normal Maryland cookies? Those were never 'smooth' and if the advert is portraying them as such then I'd be suspicious of it for sure!

Must be a few years since I bought Maryland cookies though, maybe they're different. Used to love them dunked in a copper coloured brew.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is this an advert for cookies different to the normal Maryland cookies? Those were never 'smooth' and if the advert is portraying them as such then I'd be suspicious of it for sure!

The ones in my packet had the appearance of what mountain ranges look like when formed by the collision of two tectonic plates.

 

[Darandio]

The ones in my packet had the appearance of what mountain ranges look like when formed by the collision of two tectonic plates.

Which in fairness is exactly like any Maryland cookie i've ever had out of a Maryland cookie packet.

 

[styles]

The ones in my packet had the appearance of what mountain ranges look like when formed by the collision of two tectonic plates.

Sounds like normal Maryland cookies to me then! Am intrigued what this advert portrays now, wonder if it's on YouTube.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Sounds like normal Maryland cookies to me then! Am intrigued what this advert portrays now, wonder if it's on YouTube.

I see it on terrestrial TV and there is one brief scene with a close-up of the item, showing a pale colouring, a smooth surface and nicely spaced chocolate chips.

 

[Kite159]

This 'legendy' star certainly gets around a bit. I've had her living in Andover, Basingstoke, London & Crewe so far today.

I've masked out the name of the company as no doubt it's a semi-dodgy company trying to get money. Shame those sort of adverts have no way to report them. Similar to 'famous person in bikini photos' or 'famous person reveals ...'

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In the "Smarty" TV advert, surely the member of staff on duty outside the room where wedding guests attend "by invitation" should be aware that the bride herself is someone who does not need an invite.

 

[LT02 NVV]

In the "Smarty" TV advert, surely the member of staff on duty outside the room where wedding guests attend "by invitation" should be aware that the bride herself is someone who does not need an invite.

At least good old Karl Pilkington’s at the end. I liked the radio adverts he did for Smarty, where he goes on his usual Pilkington rambles.

 

[AM9]

In the "Smarty" TV advert, surely the member of staff on duty outside the room where wedding guests attend "by invitation" should be aware that the bride herself is someone who does not need anot invite.

It's an advertisement, - not a real life situation.

 

[Ashley Hill]

The Zable credit card ad with a blue alien played by a naff actor painted blue. Who are their demographic audience,five year olds?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's an advertisement, - not a real life situation.

But it could be taken as showing the employers of the hotel in a poor light and a reflection of poor standard of their training regimes. A point made to me by quite a senior personage in the Britannia hotel group who was quite annoyed by that particular TV advert.