Controversial Sky ad allowed to continue

The advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority, has allowed media giant Sky to continue running a controversial advertisements where it makes fun of BT deals.

Over recent years the stiff competition between internet and broadband providers in the UK has led to more and more cases where complains are made to the Advertising Standards Authority about various advertisements that are being run by broadband providers. These advertisements are often slated for misleading consumers, or in some cases receive complaints because they are slating other service providers.

It has now been announced that media and entertainment giant Sky has been running an advertisement that pokes fun at deals that are available from rival broadband and communications provider BT. According to reports the advertisement makes fun of BT deals and suggests that in order to get a competitive deal from BT you need to sign up to long contract periods such as two year contracts. The advertisement shows a goat and the headline is “Trip, trap, trip, trap, two-year contract”. The advertisement then shows the goat moving over the Sky so that it can take advantage of a one year contract.

BT has complained that the advertisement indicates that its best deals were only available to customers that were prepared to sign up to two year contract deals with the provider. However, BT went in to state that this is not the case, and that its deals are available on a variety of contract lengths.

However, despite the complaints from BT the Advertising Standards Authority has decided that Sky can continue to run the advertisement. The advertising watchdog said “Sky were entitled to point out that to obtain Sky’s best price for a TV/broadband/calls package customers were required to sign up for one year.”

Do you think the Sky advertisement shows BT in a bad light? Let us know with your comments

Source – Cable