Apple rapped for misleading iPhone ad
Apple has been slammed by the Advertising Standards Authority for making a misleading claim about the iPhone in a TV campaign.
The ad, created by TBWA\London, shows the phone in a person’s hand as the user navigates through various websites. An accompanying voiceover says: “You never know which part of the internet you’ll need … Which is why all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone.”
The claim that all parts of the internet were accessible was challenged by two viewers, who said that the iPhone did not support Flash or Java, which are both integral to many pages.
Apple defended the ad by saying the aim was to show that the iPhone offered availability to all internet websites, in contrast to other handsets that offered access to WAP versions or sites selected by service providers.
The company pointed out that the Safari web browser on the handset was built to open internet standards but that Flash and Java were not open source and required a plug in or individual download in order for content to appear within the specific browser. Apple “could not ensure compatibility with every third party technology in the marketplace”.
The ASA noted that the ad was about site availability rather than technical details but considered the claim “all parts of the internet are on the iPhone” implied users would be able to see all websites in their entirety. The ASA ruled that the ad must not run again in its current form.
| Bookmark with: |
