Stansted Express poster banned by ASA

[stuartmoss]

Misleading info about journey time: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11223723

Stansted Express posters banned for being misleading

Posters advertising the Stansted Express have been banned by a watchdog for implying the train would reach central London in 35 minutes. The posters, at Stansted Airport, used the text "Train to London 35 minutes" with images of the capital, partly to help those not fluent in English.

But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) noted that the journey to central London took 45 minutes
.
It ruled that the advert was likely to mislead passengers.

The ASA also said the train would reach Tottenham Hale in 35 minutes, and that the images "strongly implied" the train would reach the city centre directly from the airport.

It added: "We understood that many travellers would not necessarily speak English and that the use of tourist landmarks was intended to communicate a simple message.

"However, we considered that the simplicity of the message could potentially confuse visitors about where in the city they would get to in 35 minutes."

Simple messages

One person had complained that the advert was misleading.

National Express, which runs the Stansted service, said international passengers arriving at the airport made up 58% of the train's business, many of whom did not speak or understand fluent English.

As a result, the company said it had used simple and concise messages to communicate that an express train service was available into London.

It said it had used an internationally recognisable train symbol to communicate the mode of transport to London, together with symbol indicating the journey time from the airport to Tottenham Hale.

From there, it said, passengers could take the Victoria line on the London Underground and travel to central London destinations.
National Express also said it did not believe the adverts made any reference to the train getting to central London in 35 minutes, adding that all trains from the airport continued on to Liverpool Street station, located in the heart of the capital.

A National Express East Anglia spokesman said: "The use of tourist landmarks was intended to communicate a simple message of train services to London but we note the ruling and apologise if it did cause any misunderstanding.

"We have already started to change the ads."

 

[CarterUSM]

Misleading info about journey time: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11223723

A wee bit cheeky that! :-P

 

[Oliver]

Misleading info about journey time: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11223723

Yes, but they did manage to spell Stansted correctly.

 

[stuartmoss]

Bugger - I honestly thought it had the letter a in it twice!

 

[jopsuk]

There's a village called Stanstead Abbotts not too far from the airport, though it is named for the closer village of Stansted Mountfitchet.

 

[Oswyntail]

Why bother putting the time on, misleading or not? It's the quickest way to central or outer London. If it is so that people can plan connections, just say "under an hour".

 

[jopsuk]

It's a fair bit quicker than the coaches, and you'd be hard pressed (unless at night) to make central london in under 45 minutes by taxi. Private helicopter charter to Battersea would be faster, granted, but that's generally only an option for people using the terminal facilities on the far side of the runway from where the station is...

 

[Greenback]

It all seems to show National Express as quite stupid. Why not put 45 or whatever it is to liverpool St, if it's still quicker than any other means of transport? Their excuse, is frankly, pathetic!

 

[sprinterguy]

It's not the first time National Express have managed to pull off misleading advertising: When we, during the short period I spent with National Express, were in the midst of launching a new fleet of Enviro 400s at Travel West Midlands for the Hagley Road 9 and 99 services last year, with a revamped timetable, they were fitted with route branding claiming "Every 10 minutes along the Hagley Road" (Or was it 8?): Which, with no reference to the particular service operating this frequency, suggested that the Hagley Road corridor only had one bus every ten minutes, when there were many more than that over all the services. It wasn't even particularly accurate for the services it was meant to advertise! I note that one year on, all these buses now have completey different advertising branding for the route...

 

[Oswyntail]

Slightly off topic, but Sprinterguy's post reminds me of the sign underneath one of the arches East of London Bridge station. Underneath an arrow pointing to the station it read (IIRC) "Southern Railway, London Bridge. Trains every few minutes". Is it still there?

 

[sprinterguy]

Slightly off topic, but Sprinterguy's post reminds me of the sign underneath one of the arches East of London Bridge station. Underneath an arrow pointing to the station it read (IIRC) "Southern Railway, London Bridge. Trains every few minutes".

Well, nobody could claim that it's wrong! Keep it vague, and you can't go wrong. At London bridge, you should hope there'll be trains every few minutes

 

[O L Leigh]

I think the reason for it being misleading is not so much to do with how StanEx say it would get to Central London but where Central London actually starts. I would have to agree that Tottenham Hale (which is reached inside 35 minutes) isn't it, even if it is very well connected.

Mind you, there is a great deal of ignorance over just how long it takes because calling the airport London Stansted hides just how far out of the city it actually is. It's common to get travellers boarding a train just shortly before check-in for their flight closes and I would estimate that about half of those arriving at the airport feel the need to sprint from the train into the terminal.

O L Leigh

 

[LE Greys]

I think the reason for it being misleading is not so much to do with how StanEx say it would get to Central London but where Central London actually starts. I would have to agree that Tottenham Hale (which is reached inside 35 minutes) isn't it, even if it is very well connected.

Mind you, there is a great deal of ignorance over just how long it takes because calling the airport London Stansted hides just how far out of the city it actually is. It's common to get travellers boarding a train just shortly before check-in for their flight closes and I would estimate that about half of those arriving at the airport feel the need to sprint from the train into the terminal.

O L Leigh

It doesn't actually say Central London. Tottenham Hale is Middlesex, as far as I am concerned, but it's officially London, so they're sort of right. Really, Liverpool Street in 45 minutes would not just have been more accurate, it would have made the same statement that it's quicker by rail. It's also interesting that they have an advert for London coaches next to it, with a fare of £8. Not sure what the OPS is from Stansted, but it seems that NX is competing with itself there.

Look East got in a bit of a gibe this afternoon, with an MP going on about "second-hand locomotives". Thanks a lot! Now the next lot will probably take the lovely 90s away and replace them with Czech-made plastic rubbish as seen on the South Western. There will certainly be a next lot, the DfT don't like NX very much.

 

[mickey]

There will certainly be a next lot, the DfT don't like NX very much.

The Labour government didn't like NX much but they've always been cosy with the Tories, and there will be a fight (internally of course!) between the government and the DfT over it. Yes they'll lose East Anglia but they'll be back in somewhere before long, have no doubts.

[...]"Southern Railway, London Bridge. Trains every few minutes". Is it still there?

Similarly, the old station towers in Birkenhead still claim "Mersey Railway, the fastest way to Liverpool". Are there any other examples of this still around?

On the OT though, my opinion is that while it is technically accurate to describe Tottenham Hale as London it is misleading as most people would expect it to mean central London and shouldn't have been carried. Therefore I think the ASA was right to act just as it did. If there actually were a train that made the journey that fast, even if it were just a couple during peak hours, it would be different.

 

[causton]

It doesn't actually say Central London. Tottenham Hale is Middlesex, as far as I am concerned, but it's officially London

This is why I hate people saying unless it's south of Camden and north of Victoria, "it's not London". Even Trent Park is in London no matter how rural it feels! :P

 

[Capybara]

It's interesting that the ASA are going after this company when there is not much doubt that taking the train is the quickest method of getting to London.

To me, Heathrow Express advertising as the quickest way to central London is a much greater deception to visitors given that they then charge an extortionate fare to get those people to, errrm, Praed Street.

 

[mickey]

It's interesting that the ASA are going after this company when there is not much doubt that taking the train is the quickest method of getting to London.

Because that's not what the company claimed!

The simple point is that NX could have played on their service being the fastest way to London, and the ASA would have tested it (if anyone complained) and would probably have allowed it through. What NX did, however, is suggest that the service is even faster than it actually is. After all, psychologically 35 minutes sounds fast whereas 45 minutes does not. You've also got to remember that their nearest competitor is the Gatwick Express, and by saying 35 minutes they're implying the two routes are similar when they're not.

The ASA doesn't 'go after' companies, it investigates when a complaint is made to ensure advertising is fair and reasonable. In this case is found that the grounds for complaint were justified and asked the company to remove the posters.

 

[maddeningcrowds]

The poster has a picture of the London Eye in the background. This is one of the elements that makes it particularly misleading.

 

[Flywaver]

Back in the day i left Stansted at 2359 on the last one. Arrived at Liv St at 0028
On that one Tott hale was shut so non stop. No doubt im not the quickest. But before Black boxes and i was not going over class 317s Max Speed.
Its all congestion now...

 

[MCR247]

The poster has a picture of the London Eye in the background. This is one of the elements that makes it particularly misleading.

Well that's what people associate with London. I in your opinion should they only be able to put the London eye if it arrives into Waterloo? I'm honestly not being funny, just saying . But I suppose there isn't many world-famous attractions or that much worth seeing near Liverpool Street really?

 

[tbtc]

Do Spurs play in London?

 

[yorkie]

It all seems to show National Express as quite stupid. Why not put 45 or whatever it is to liverpool St, if it's still quicker than any other means of transport? Their excuse, is frankly, pathetic!

I agree totally.

National Express did a lot of false advertising when they ran East Coast. A couple of members of this forum complained and got some ruled as being misleading. They do fly from Stansted occasionally so maybe they reported this one.

I read the story and tried searching for it on this forum and got no results, because it was spelt wrong! The spelling of Stansted has been corrected. I've also added a quote of the article, as this is most useful for people using mobile devices to be able to easily figure out what the discussion is about without having to faff about.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Do Spurs play in London?

Yep, well Middlessex tTBH, you know White Hart Lane station on Seven Sisters-Enfield Town/Cheshunt - they play there

 

[yorkie]

Well that's what people associate with London. I in your opinion should they only be able to put the London eye if it arrives into Waterloo? I'm honestly not being funny, just saying . But I suppose there isn't many world-famous attractions or that much worth seeing near Liverpool Street really?

I think you can get away with any of the major central London attractions being used in a picture of Liverpool St. But Tottenham Hale? Erm, no. You could, at a push, walk anywhere in central London from Liverpool St. Tottenham Hale is several miles out.

Perhaps if they had retained the franchise, they'd have NXEC trains calling at Hadley Wood, and then advertise reductions in journey time to London by 20 minutes? (10 mins journey time + 10 mins padding removed)

 

[Greenback]

Do Spurs play in London?

Yes, but they play in North London, not Central London!!

 

[yorkie]

Yep, well Middx tbh, You know White Hart Lane stn on Seven Sisters-Enfield Tn/Cheshunt - they play there

I think he knows that Middlesex doesn't exist any more, although the post office still uses it.

I could add that they don't play at the station. And that Northumberland Park can be a better bet, although less trains call there, there isn't a queue as not many people bother with it, and additional calls are made. (Not on Stansted Expresses though).

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I think he knows that Middlesex doesn't exist any more, although the post office still uses it.

I could add that they don't play at the station. And that Northumberland Park can be a better bet, although less trains call there, there isn't a queue as not many people bother with it, and additional calls are made. (Not on Stansted Expresses though).

Yeah right, you'll be telling me Rutland, Westmorland and Huntingtonshire don't exist next. (Checks map). Oh AFAIK there's no Sunday stuff to Northumberland Park, but I think Bruce Grove (is it?) is closer too.

 

[mickey]

I think he knows that Middlesex doesn't exist any more, although the post office still uses it.

Not strictly true. Royal Mail is quite clear in stipulating that the necessary parts of an address are the house number and post code. They quite like a road name and post town too (defined as the place where your delivery office is - the place you pick up stuff that they couldn't deliver). Extra information is only required if it's a confusing - usually rural - address.

Counties are tolerated for the benefit of the old-fashioned but are not used for operational purposes.

 

[90019]

Counties are tolerated for the benefit of the old-fashioned but are not used for operational purposes.

Though they are apparently deleting all of the counties from their database.

 

[mickey]

Though they are apparently deleting all of the counties from their database.

They are, and not before time. Think of all the ink that must be wasted on adding pointless information that carries no meaning and - in some cases - actually causes trouble when it confuses the machines!

When we moved house a while back RM very nicely sent us a letter with the address they would like us to use, which was sweetly simple:
34 Yellow Road
MYTOWN
CH99 7HT

...which is what I've happily used ever since.

(real address changed for obvious reasons!)