The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled against a TV advert of William Hill, forcing the company not to air the commercial in its current form ever again.
The TV commercial which was seen on September 15th, 2017 featured a voice-over which offered some promotional terms to potential customers, introducing “2 Clear” with the bookmaker. Although the voice-over of the ad stated that the offer was available on all live ITV flat races, the complainant challenged the ad’s content. According to the person who filed the complaint, William Hill’s TV commercial failed to make it sufficiently clear to customers whether the condition that the promotion applied to horse races featuring no less than six runners or not.
William Hill’s Response
William Hill Organization explained that its experts had reviewed the promotion and believed that it is informative enough to potential customers. According to the company, the advert provided all necessary details about the requirements and the key terms of the special promotion in order for users to make an informed choice about whether to take part in the offer.
William Hill further explained that it believed that the on-screen text was in line with the provisions included in the BCAP Code. As mentioned above, the information provided by the voice-over was believed to be enough for potential customers to make informed decisions on their participation in the promotional offer, and more specifically in the selected UK flat races featuring at least six runners.
In addition, William Hill explained that the majority of the races in question (about 97%) were normally scheduled to have at least six runners, but further shared that 95% of races would have been eligible for the offer after non-runners and withdrawals.
ASA Investigation and Ruling
The advertising regulatory body of the UK took into account the complaint filed and conducted an investigation. As a result, it found that the William Hill commercial’s voice-over claims “Bet on any live ITV flat race” and “Introducing 2 Clear” could be wrongly interpreted by potential customers.
According to the Advertising Standards Authority, consumers could understand they could get the free bet bonus when they place a wager on any flat race aired on TV. In addition, the regulator found that part of the on-screen text displayed during the ad was not in line with the claims that the special bonus was available on “all” or “any” race.
The ASA also explained that in its opinion, some significant qualification that had to be included in the main body of the advert was presented only in a small text at the bottom of the screen, which was not sufficient enough.
The investigation held by the Advertising Standards Authority found that the William Hill TV commercial violated BCAP Code rules 3.1 concerning Misleading advertising and 3.10 concerning Qualification. As a result, the ASA ordered the company to make sure that all conditions that could be significant to customers are clearly displayed in its ads and see that all conditions of such offers are in line with the advertised claims. The advertising regulatory body also said that the advert must not be aired in its current form any more.
- Author
Olivia Cole
