Firms fall foul of advertising standards

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) has upheld complaints against two firms for adverts featuring people cycling in a dangerous way.

In the case of mobile communications company Meteor, the advert on how to get mobile broadband showed a man chasing after a bus on a bicycle. He is holding his phone aloft. On the back of the bus is a promotion for “Wifi onboard”. A voiceover states “do not chase it”.

According to ASAI, the complainant considered the ad “condoned dangerous cycling behaviour in that it depicted a young man cycling while using his mobile phone”.

Meteor said the reality was that people do not chase buses for wifi. It also said the voice-over, accompanied by on screen text, indicated Meteor was in no way condoning the behaviour portrayed.

However, ASAI, while noting the young man was wearing a helmet, ruled the scene “nevertheless depicted dangerous behaviour and unsafe practice”.

Unilever also fell foul of safe cycling guidelines. Its national press ad featured a family cycling on a road through fields with thecaption: “A guide to getting your family active this summer. Get On Your Bike….”

The family were not wearing helmets and that sparked the complaint.

Unilever said in the scene the family were cycling on a path in a park, “moving at a leisurely speed”. They said in that context it would not be dangerous not to wear a helmet and said it was not a legal requirement to do so.

ASAI said in the interest of road user safety, it was strongly recommended.

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