Vodacom R1 debacle strikes again
Vodacom has agreed to withdraw and rework its R10 airtime advanced advertising after a complaint was submitted to the ASA accusing the company of misleading advertising.
The advertisement communicates “Get R10 Airtime Advance when you need it most”, and in a substantially smaller font states that “T&Cs apply. Service fee of R1,00 will be charged.”
One consumer (Mr B Matlala) lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA), arguing that the commercial is misleading as it does not mention that one will be charged a R1.00 service fee.
The advertising agency Draft FCB, on behalf of Vodacom, said that the complaint is factually incorrect as the commercial actually contained a disclaimer reading “T&Cs apply. Service fee of R1.00 will be charged.”
Draft FCB added that the commercial was sent to the ACA Advisory Service for an opinion. The opinion concluded that more prominence and duration should be given to this disclaimer.
As a result of this, the commercial has been removed from air and will be reworked and again submitted to the ACA Advisory Service prior to flighting, said Draft FCB.
The ASA accepted the undertaking from Vodacom to remove and improve the advertisement, on condition that the advertising is amended to such an extent that no hypothetical reasonable person can be in the dark about the mandatory service fee.
This is not the first time that Vodacom was in the dog box because of this advertisement. In August 2011 a similar complaint was lodged, and at the time DraftFCB, on behalf of Vodacom, said that the commercial would be amended to communicate the applicable service fee.
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