Adjudications

Red traffic lightASA adjudications provide important guidance to advertisers on how the Advertising Codes are to be interpreted. They act as a transparent record of our policy for consumers, media, government, industry and society at large on what is and isn’t acceptable in advertising.

We publish our rulings here every Wednesday (available to the media under embargo from Monday). You can sign up to receive weekly alerts about our rulings, or search the database of all adjudications. Our rulings are published here for five years. Some adjudications may be available for longer if they are used as a reference in AdviceOnline and Help Notes issued by the Committee of Advertising Practice.  

Please note ASA broadcast advertising adjudications (November 2004 - June 2006) are not included in this section or search results but can be found in PDF documents in the Old Broadcast Rulings section. Those PDFs can be searched using the main site search in the top right hand corner of the page.

Use the advanced search to search by name of advertiser, agency, date, sector, type of media, Code clauses and by ASA decision.

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Viewing adjudications for : 22 February 2012

Adjudications (21)

Action for Debt

A regional press ad for a company offering debt advice, viewed in November 2011, stated "DO YOU HAVE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS? Waiting list to see the C.A.B. is up to 3 weeks! Would you like debt...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

British Sky Broadcasting Ltd t/a Sky

A TV ad for a media services company, viewed on 22 November, said "Welcome to the world of better offers. If you've got Sky Movies 1 and 2 with Sky's unlimited broadband, then this offer is...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

BSS Group Ltd t/a Birchwood Price Tools

A poster promoting a competition to win "the ultimate lads' bash for you and 3 mates", seen in November 2011, featured an image of the inside of a workman's van, as if seen from the rear....
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Coleman Rendell Ltd

Claims on www.ColemanRendell.co.uk, a plumbing and heating company, visited on 7 December 2012, stated "Coleman Rendell are one of the South West's largest privately-owned plumbing, heating...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Colossal Direct Ltd

A promotion for a fat-burning product, seen on www.utroxz.com on 3 November 2011, stated "ORDER TODAY! ACT NOW TO CLAIM YOUR TRIAL BOTTLE HURRY LIMITED TO 1 TRIAL OFFER PER HOUSEHOLD".
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Eastern & Southern Electrical Connections Ltd

A direct mailing for an electrical services company, received in October 2011, was headed "FREE SAFETY CHECK BE SAFE NOT SORRY" and “FREE WIRING SAFETY CHECK". Further text stated...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Not Upheld

Entwistle Green Ltd t/a Entwistle Green

A circular, handed to home vendors, on 25 May 2011, featured a graph entitled "Weekly Sold Report" which illustrated the number of properties sold by 11 estate agents in the Liverpool...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Green Sun Ltd

A press ad, for a utilities company, viewed in November 2011, was headed "Due to new government legislation announced 31-10-11 ACT NOW and get paid for generating your own electricity - it's...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

J Sainsbury plc

A TV ad, for Sainsbury's, viewed on 27 October 2011, featured a voice-over that stated "You might not be thinking about presents yet, but they are, so right now at Sainsbury's ALL toys are...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd

Claims on www.nissan.co.uk/leaf, seen 22 June 2011, included a vertical link on the left hand side of the page which stated "Zero emission by Nissan" and stated "Download...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Not Upheld

Paramount Farms Intl LLC

A TV ad for pistachio nuts, seen in November 2011, featured a woman dressed in a black PVC corset and underwear and black PVC thigh high boots. She placed a pistachio on a chair and cracked the nut...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Not Upheld

PropertyWikia.com t/a PropertyWikia (part of the RMV Group)

A number of claims on a property website offering a business opportunity on its 'Affiliates' page, seen in September 2011.
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Radio Taxis Group Ltd

A website for a taxi company stated "World's first Carbon Neutral taxi company - taxis that don't cost the earth!" Under the heading "Carbon reduction and offset strategy" it...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld in part

Skinboost

Claims on skinboost.co.uk, for a cosmetic skincare practitioner, viewed on 19 October 2011, was headed "Skinboost Prescriptive Injectables and Evidence Based Skin Care". Text on the Line...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Sony Pictures Releasing UK

A TV ad for the film 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' (Cert 18), seen December 2011, showed fast edited scenes which included a fight between two people on an escalator, a man being shot at in the...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Not Upheld

Superdrug Stores plc

A radio ad and claims on a website for Superdrug Stores plc.a. A female voiceover, for the radio ad, stated "... I got three for two on all cosmetics at Superdrug. That includes Rimmel, Max...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd t/a Richmond Theatre

A poster, for a stage production of Calendar Girls, stated "JENNIFER ELLISON is Miss July" and featured a photograph of the actress who was shown naked and seated at a piano. She had her...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Not Upheld

Toyota (GB) PLC

A national press ad for a car manufacturer featured two images of Toyota vehicles, one below the other. The top image was a Toyota in snowy conditions accompanied with the text, "From the...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Not Upheld

Triangle Taxis

Claims on triangletaxis.com, for a taxi company, viewed in December 2011, on the page headed "About Us", stated "Triangle Taxis We have more than 10 years [sic] experience. All our...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Ultralase Ltd

A brochure, for Ultralase laser eye surgery, distributed in October 2010 made a number of claims about the service they offered.
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Versatile Insurance Professionals Ltd t/a Aaduki Multimedia Insurance

A magazine ad for photography insurance, seen in October 2011, featured three men, each wearing a different style of underwear.  The man at the front was topless and wearing a pair of tight blue...
Date: 22 February 2012
Decision: Upheld

Informally Resolved Cases (37)

After consideration by the ASA of complaints received, the following companies and organisations agreed to amend or withdraw advertising without the need for a formal investigation:

Advertiser Date Number of Complaints Media Sector
5 Star Windows & Conservatories Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Household
A&K Property Management Services Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Property
Argos Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Retail
Argos Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Catalogue Retail
British Airways plc 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Holidays and travel
British Telecommunications plc 22 February 2012 1 National press Computers and telecommunications
British Telecommunications plc 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Computers and telecommunications
Cables UK 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Retail
Chalon UK Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Household
Climate Energy Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Direct mail Household
D & D Motors 22 February 2012 1 Radio Business
Guardian News and Media Ltd 22 February 2012 1 E-mail Publishing
Harrison Spinks Beds Ltd t/a Somnus 22 February 2012 1 Internet (sales promotion) Household
Interactive Sports (C.I.) Ltd t/a sportingbet 22 February 2012 1 E-mail Leisure
Kimberly-Clark Ltd 22 February 2012 1 E-mail Health and beauty
London Councils t/a London Taxicard Scheme 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Non-commercial
London Eye Hospital Ltd 22 February 2012 2 Radio Health and beauty
Loyalty Management UK Ltd t/a Nectar 22 February 2012 1 E-mail Leisure
Nature's Sunshine 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Health and beauty
Pickaweb Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Business
Powermag 22 February 2012 1 Internet (classified) Retail
Pro4Sport Ltd t/a hellyhansenonlineshop.co.uk 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Retail
QHotels Group Ltd 22 February 2012 1 E-mail Holidays and travel
Ragged Acre 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Leisure
RAKtrain 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Education
S & M Fashion Ltd t/a Models and Extras 22 February 2012 1 Internet (OM 3rd party), Internet (on own site) Business
Shakuntala Devi 22 February 2012 1 Television Leisure
Simard Ltd t/a Gourmet Society 22 February 2012 1 Internet (OM 3rd party) Leisure
TAG Hotel Ltd t/a Aviator 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Holidays and travel
The Globe Hunters Ltd t/a Travelhighstreet.com 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Holidays and travel
The Utility Warehouse Discount Club 22 February 2012 1 Direct mail Retail
TUI UK Ltd t/a Thomson 22 February 2012 1 Internet (e-tailing) Holidays and travel
Victorstone Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Leaflet Property
Virgin Wines Online Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Internet (sales promotion) Alcohol
W McGann and L McGann t/a clockcards2go.co.uk 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Business
WGF Ltd t/a Cool-Furniture.co.uk 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Retail
WorldStores Ltd t/a OfficeSupermarket 22 February 2012 1 Internet (on own site) Retail

Mail Order Cases (2)

The ASA has investigated complaints about the non-receipt of mail-order or sales promotion goods or refunds from these companies, which have now agreed to supply those goods or refunds.

Advertiser Date Number of Complaints Media Sector
Nestlé UK Ltd 22 February 2012 1 Internet (sales promotion) Food and drink
Northern & Shell plc t/a OK! 22 February 2012 1 Internet (sales promotion) Publishing

Database Cases (5)

The ASA has taken action about the obtaining, processing, management and use of personal information for the purposes of marketing products and services to the public through targeted and personalised mail by the following companies and organisations:

Advertiser Date
MyCityDeal Ltd t/a Groupon 22 February 2012
Pizza Express Ltd 22 February 2012
Post Office Ltd 22 February 2012
Thamesview Estate Agents Ltd t/a Dexters 22 February 2012
TUI UK Ltd t/a Thomson 22 February 2012

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