Simply the best?
The advertising watchdog has ordered Three to pull an advert claiming it offers the best network for smartphones and broadband, following a complaint from just one member of the public.
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has apparently slapped Three's wrists after the complainant claimed the advert was misleading and Three's assertions could not be proved, Mobile News reported.
The captions that were problematic in the advert reportedly were: "Don't just take our word for it. We're rated No.1 network for mobile internet speed and value by smartphone users," and "Better for smartphones".
Three claimed the phrases derived from independent research, which was carried out by YouGov. However, the consumer apparently complained that Three's claims were deceptive, which was dismissed by ASA.
However the second part of the complaint, that the advert was misleading because Three did not offer any way for customers to compare its service to others, was upheld by the watchdog because the YouGov research is not available to the public.
ASA reportedly said: "We considered that that information should have been made available for the purpose of verifying the comparison and the ad should also therefore have included reference to the means by which that information could be reviewed."
However, Three apparently told the publication that it is standing by its findings, insisting they are accurate and that it is investigating how to make the YouGov research available to the public to get some extra mileage from its no doubt pricey ad campaign.
A Three spokesperson told Mobile News: "We are going to stick with the campaign and we are working with YouGov to resolve the issue of public verification and down the line we will find a way of demonstrating that we have come top in the categories. What will change is the means of referencing the facts more accurately so we will abide by that."
