Luton Airport Express - Misleading Ads?

[Haywain]

It's only one stop (St Albans) isn't it?

Two - Harpenden as well. And some at West Hampstead Thameslink.

 

[Djgr]

If I remember correctly, there was a ruling (by the ASA?) many years ago that, if an advert said / depicted something that was obviously untrue, then it was ok; the ruling concerned the "Heineken refreshes the parts that other beers cannot reach". Quite obviously, this is not true, so it was allowed to stand. The same would go for an image of a car parked next to an aeroplane, advertising car parking and with the slogan "you can't park closer"; obviously that's not true. But an advert stating that "London is only a Thameslink away" (from Luton Airport) is not obviously untrue, so it would need to be true. I think that one would fall foul, if challenged. The Luton Airport Express EMR advert is not really in breach of anything though.

apart from the fact that it doesn't go to Luton Airport but to Luton Airport Parkway. This is not obviously untrue and therefore, using your logic, needs to be true. Which is isn't.

If Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport are the same place then why do I have to pay to get from one to the other?

 

[Dr Hoo]

At the risk of being accused of thread drift, does anybody think that this parallel EMR poster might also be misleading?

(Picture shows poster at Leicester yesterday purporting to illustrate EMR mascot, Miles, crossing Tower Bridge astride a rocket at over 100 mph.)

 

[DynamicSpirit]

At the risk of being accused of thread drift, does anybody think that this parallel EMR poster might also be misleading?

(Picture shows poster at Leicester yesterday purporting to illustrate EMR mascot, Miles, crossing Tower Bridge astride a rocket at over 100 mph.)

Yes and no. The rocket is (correctly) not misleading according to the rules because that's clearly a joke and not intended to be taken literally. But I do wonder about the 'over 100mph' claim: It presumably refers to the maximum speed that EMR trains reach at some point on their journey but that's not clear on the poster - which could mislead people into thinking it's referring to the average speed. On a quick check of the EMR timetables it looks to me like the average speed between Leicester and London is nowhere near 100mph. The non-stop southbound trains typically take an hour and 5-10 minutes to go a distance of about around 90 miles. (Maybe someone with more time than me can make that more precise).

 

[Western Sunset]

No, that's perfectly fine as it doesn't have the desinattion of "Luton Airport" on the rocket...

The East Midlands Railway tag on the poster is a bit small though.

 

[A0]

Seen recently on the Underground (If I recall correctly, at Bank):

Is this misleading or what! As far as I'm aware, no EMR train has a destination of Luton Airport - not least because there isn't a station at Luton Airport! The trains simply pass through nearby Luton Airport Parkway en route. To my mind, this ad gives the false impression that you can hop on an EMR 'Luton Airport Express' train which will be displaying 'Luton Airport' as the final destination, and which will therefore directly take you all the way to the airport.


View attachment 142621

(Image is of an EMR advert for the St-Pancras-Corby trains, showing a train with the destination 'Luton Airport')

If you think it's misleading, raise a complaint with the ASA - if they agree, EMR will have to remove their advert, if they don't then you're wrong.

 

[dosxuk]

But I do wonder about the 'over 100mph' claim: It presumably refers to the maximum speed that EMR trains reach at some point on their journey but that's not clear on the poster - which could mislead people into thinking it's referring to the average speed.

EMR's response to any complaint would simply be "Our trains travel at over 100mph on the route into London in normal scheduled service".

 

[Hairy Bear]

Miles.....the rocket needs to go up his a***..!

 

[Haywain]

On a quick check of the EMR timetables it looks to me like the average speed between Leicester and London is nowhere near 100mph. The non-stop southbound trains typically take an hour and 5-10 minutes to go a distance of about around 90 miles.

99 miles, most of which must be covered at 100mph plus to achieve those end to end timings.

 

[Merle Haggard]

From the picture that form of traction could never be cancelled because of 'a problem with the doors'...

 

[Mag_seven]

OK, it looks like we are done here. If anyone feels they want to report this advertisement to the ASA then they are of course entitled to in their own capacity.