Another Apple iPhone ad banned in the UK
Looks like Apple has been pushing the limits of truth in advertising, at least as far as the UK is concerned. The ASA has deemed the iPhone 3G ad to be a misrepresentation of the actual speed of the iPhone, even under the best circumstances.
While it is obvious to any 3G iPhone user that the speeds are not in fact accurate, there is the argument that Apple is just trying to get in a few features during a 30 second spot. It is hard to imagine watching a commercial that is just waiting for a map and GPS location loading up over AT&T's network. Not very fun. Maybe they could have been more open about this.
You'll recall that the ASA banned a previous Apple ad in the UK in August because it stated you could have the 'whole internet' on your iPhone when Java and Flash (part of the Internet we guess) weren't included.
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Comments (21)
Good for the ASA. That ad makes it look like the iPhone is faster than my desktop computer.
Yeah I see both sides. While I'm not a big fan of gov't control, I do have to side with the ASA here. Apple is a flourishing company which should accurately represent its products.
If the phone is too slow to show all of those features in 30 seconds, then find some other way to advertise them. I don't buy the argument that it MUST be a visual walkthrough.
I agree completely with the Uk government. They should also ban microwave food, cleaning products, medicine. Basically everything that can't happen in 30 sec.!!! You guys realize how stupid this is, right?
daPrinz is right.
Better not sow beer commercials because that implies you will always have a good time and be popular!
Don't show skinny people enjoying junk food!
This is marketing. It's showing what the iPhone can do, nothing more. It's not designed to show actual speed anymore than a commercial that shows a car floating through the air or something equally ridiculous.
How boring would a commercial be if it could be nothing more than a real-time product demonstration?
"Buy Coke, it brings world peace!" (You know, one of the most popular commercials of all time?) NOPE! Not in the UK!
And since when did Flash and Java become part of the "whole Internet"? Couldn't any device that didn't support Microsoft DRM or ActiveX or any of their proprietary web technologies then not be considered to have the "full Internet"? That rules out all of Linux and OS X entirely, right?
Can Microsoft not air ads because their browsers aren't 100% standards compliant? Hard to have the "whole Internet" if you don't follow standards, isn't it?
While I completely agree with you as regards general ads, I do think that the ADA have a point in this particular case. This ad keeps mentioning the speed of the iphone and also makes a point of showing someone downloading an attachment and showing the progress of this. The rest of the ad is just showing features but this bit is specifically demonstrating speed and I reckon that's the main part they had a problem with
This is what you do with tax dollars when you assume people are that incapable of handling paid advertizing...thank goodness for politicians and bureaucrats. We all need to be saved from ourselves. Does anyone out there really believe more than 2% of what they see in ads?
Lying Apple bastards. Marketing morons must be mimicking sneaky Steve's snake oil spiel.
Nice alliteration :)
Apparently the UK believes its viewers are absolute idiots and will believe everything they see at face value. That would mean they also believe that Dr. Who actually travels around in time in his little blue box.
@ Noob,
Given your example, I am glad the ADA is their to protect people. there is an obvious difference between an advertisement that is created to market and showcase a real product and a science fiction television show. I agree with the ADA here.
A better example would be the pomegranate phone. this is something that doesnt actually exist, so the fact that the ad shows it brewing coffee, or translating speech in real time, is ok, because they are not trying to sell that particular product. it is a gimmik. The iphone on the other hand is not a gimmick. it a real product and should therefore be depicted in real way. I dont mind that they speed up the dload times in the Ad, but when they do it while talking about speed, the ad becomes intentionally misleading.
Beer ads don't say that you are cool if you drink beer. they just depict fun-loving people drinking beer.
Anyway, as I said, if you don't see the difference between a fictional TV show and blatant misrepresentation of a real product, then I am glad the ADA is around.
Surely you've seen the signs on packets of pistachio nuts:
Allergy advice
fan bois r ryeot
I honestly agree with ASA on this one. The whole spot is about "SPEED". The "SPEED" is the tag line. When you show this promo in this context it becomes misleading. However, with voiceover and editing changes one could've easily used that spot. Why on earth would anyone want to show misleading "loading" bar on a spot and say "twice as fast"? Apple is just asking for trouble. Hell, I want the money back I spent on my iPhone 2G since it ain't half as fast as the iPhone 3G in that promo. Its class action time.
worth noting that advert was never aired in the uk, but whatever
Yes it was.. I saw it many times, but with the tag line 'Very Fast' because even apple knew they couldn't get away with saying 'Twice as fast' (because it just isn't a lot of the time).
That video is about speed. It's saying the iphone is fast - and then showing it going faster over 3G that I can get on a good Wifi connecition. That's misleading.. it's *not* that fast.
They're still doing it with their new one that shows off the GPS.. but they're not claiming that it's that fast in the ad, only that it can do GPS... so it's OK.
yes i'm sure you saw an advert "many times" advertising AT&T in the UK
I noticed recently on an Australian iPhone ad there's a line that comes up now on the bottom that says 'Sequence shortened'.
Seems like they have to cater to the stupid like most things in life.
one point, the ASA is not UK Governament. It is a self regulatory body within the UK Advertising industry. so stop talking of wasted tax money, oh btw, that would be tax pounds anon 9t05Macoob...
The 30 sec limit is BS. If the issue were to show features there'd be no need at all to show the status scrolls indicating pageload giving the false impression of speed, yet it is exactly what happens
While to 9to5 and many other potential purchasers the speed claims may seem obviously exaggerated to many others they won't. Is the advertisement subtly implying that the product will do something impossible... like make you reach the Moon or turn everything you touch into gold? No it is claiming that with the iPhone you can access services much faster than you can with other comparable products, and it does so with a practical example showing a person doing this at a remarkable yet reasonably possible speed.
Does this make this ad deceitful? Yes. Was blocking it correct? You bet.
"It is a self regulatory body within the UK Advertising industry." ...under the sword of Damocles
"Does this make this ad deceitful? Yes." ...but how do you know that?
ANSs:
"YES": then you don't need any self[sic] regulatory body.
"NO": "Was blocking it correct? You bet." ...but how do you know that?
What's relevant here is whether you have faith in a company like Apple or in any group of people (gov or otherwise)...I say no to any and all of the above.
Apple has consistently and persistently lied and twisted the truth in its advertising material. It's part of the culture of the marketing department and they are very effective at it. Even when they're caught, they get publicity for it. However, it's about time they were honest. If the product is so good, there's no need to lie or exaggerate, is there?
Stretch the truth and you should expect to be put in your place.
It's not hard to sell something without lying. Just find something else good about it to say if you can't think of anything.
10,000 apps in the App Store is a good un.