A COMPLAINT against an advertising campaign by Quinn Healthcare has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI). The complaint by Hibernian Healthcare referred to adverts in which Quinn Healthcare claimed to have the “best maternity cover on the market”.
Hibernian Health said Quinn Healthcare’s most extensive maternity package was not as substantive as that offered by Hibernian Health. It further argued that Quinn Healthcare was not offering superior benefits and that, in a number of areas, the benefits from Hibernian Health were greater.
The ASAI said advertisers should satisfy themselves that they would be able to provide documentary evidence to substantiate all claims. It said comparisons should not be unfairly selected in a way that gave the advertisers an artificial advantage.
Television advertisements for Bord Gáis Energy offering a “just a minimum 10 per cent off” and “a guaranteed 10-14 per cent off your electricity costs” were also upheld by the complaints committee.
Complainants considered the advertisements misleading as they did not state the discount only applied in the first year of service.
A complaint against an e-mail advertisement by Ryanair, offering a “sensational seat sale, €1 all in” was also upheld.
The complainant considered the e-mail to be misleading as she discovered taxes and charges were extra when she tried to book a flight to Aberdeen.
The ASAI expressed its disappointment that Ryanair failed to respond to ASAI queries about the advertisement, reminding the airline there was an onus on advertisers to ensure their advertising complied with the code. A second complaint made against Ryanair for advertising flights to Zadar “from €5” was also upheld.