ASA rebukes mmo2 over Vodafone dig

A campaign for mmO2’s Genie Internet service, which mocked rival Vodafone, has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority.

Genie ran a press campaign with the strapline “I’m gutted”, which was seen by Vodafone as a slight against its own campaign, which had the strapline “I’m gifted”.

The ASA upheld Vodafone’s complaint that the Genie ad, created by Finex Communications Group, compared Genie’s monthly tariffs with short-term Vodafone offers. The ASA warned Genie that it should instead compare similar tariffs. Genie says it does not intend to use the ad again. It is the fourth complaint the ASA has upheld against mmO2 in the past year.

However, a viral campaign by Agency Republic for Genie Internet escaped criticism from the ASA last month after complaints that the e-mails, entitled Your Girlfriend and Your Boyfriend, made the sound of an oinking pig when opened.

The ASA has rejected a complaint against a BSkyB magazine ad for Sky Digital’s adult TV channels. The ASA ruled that the ad, which contained the strapline “With more bush than your local garden centre” was unlikely to offend most readers.