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THE ADVERTISING AUTHORITY of Ireland (ASAI) has upheld several complaints against influencers and advertisers over sponsored content on social media that was not clearly marked as advertising.
In its latest round of investigations, the watchdog upheld 9 out of 11 complaints in full.
These advertisements were placed across a variety of platforms including direct mail, TV, point-of-sale, outdoors, and on social media.
Four of the upheld complaints were against ads on influencers’ social media accounts.
A complaint was successfully made against Volkswagen Wexford over posts on an influencer’s social media that were not marked out as ads.
The influencer made posts, reels and stories featuring Volkswagen Wexford products, without any disclosure about the ambassador brand relationship between the company and the advertiser.
The posts were amended to include “#ambassador” in the caption.
A similar complaint was upheld against Dylan Oaks Jewellery over sponsored posts on an influencer’s social media, with one only disclosing the advertisement relationship by writing the letters ‘sp’ in white, on the white background of a photo (with sp standing for “sponsored post”.
The advertising authority also took action over complaints on the same grounds against Romayo’s Diner Santry and Dental Options.
A successful complaint was made against Carroll’s Irish Gifts over an ad on their website for a scarf they marketed as the “perfect Irish gift”. The complainant had objected because the scarf was not made in Ireland, and therefore the ad was misleading.
A complaint was upheld against Harvey Norman for a TV ad that featured an electric scooter and claimed it was “perfect for commuters”.
The complainant objected to the ad, as the legal status of scooters in Ireland, which makes it difficult to use them in public without getting them taxed or insured, means that they are not ideal for commuters.
A complaint was upheld against Asics Kildare for a poster outside advertising a 3 for 2 sale in the “entire store” that had an asterisk, with small writing below that said “exclusions may apply”. The ASAI found the ad to be misleading.
One complainant who had booked a holiday with Loveholidays after seeing an ad that offered an“All-inclusive holiday to the Aqua Fantasy Aquapark Hotel and Spa” in Turkey, took issue because at the time they visited the waterpark was closed. Their complaint was upheld.
The CEO of the ASAI, Orla Twomey said that this latest round of investigations into complaints showed the “important role” the authority plays in ensuring ads are “legal, truthful, decent and honest for all Irish consumers”.
“The ASAI also provides a free and confidential copy advice service to the advertising industry to help them create responsible ads that adhere to the advertising code. If an advertiser, agency, or medium has any concerns about a marketing communications’ compliance with the ASAI’s Code, they can contact us and avail of the free and confidential copy advice service,” she added.
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Collins said the treaty would give us the freedom to achieve our ultimate freedom. Unfortunately 100 years on we are still partitioned.
@Brian Dunne: unfortunately we handed rule over to the Catholic Church… didn’t that work out well?
@Stephen Boland: Dev did.
@Brian Dunne: unfortunately we will never know as Collins’s didn’t get a chance to proceed.
@Stephen Boland: and now the EU!
Michael Collins was the man who Freed Ireland he would turn in his grave if he seen what’s going on now and that includes sinn Fein the so called republican party
@John gaughan: We’re getting there slowly but surely. It’s destiny.
I always think on how devastated the Catholics in the 6 countys would’ve felt after being left behind and particularly those in the Catholic majority countys. :(
@wormtubes: ‘Catholics’ are they all church goers? You mean Irish nationalists and those who don’t have an allegiance to the country that partitioned theirs
@wormtubes: you realise Ireland was partitioned before the Treaty and Northern Ireland was up and running? When the Irish Free State came into being a year after the Treaty, NI opted out the following day.
@Angela McCarthy: 99.9% of irish nationalists in 1922 were practicing devout catholics – as were the likes of Collins, Pearse and Sands. But point taken.
@Ciaran O’Mara: yes I do realise that.. what’s your point?
A 100 years later and their descendants are negotiating with another equally slippery set of eels called Johnson and Frost. With this in mind it’s a wonder they did so well in the negotiations (as well as they were allowed).
The British Prime Minister promising “terrible and immediate war” if no agreement was reached isn’t exactly embracing the spirit of international diplomacy but not untypical of British politicians to be fair.
Michael Collins was Sinn Fein
@Eamon Guilfoyle: irrelevant. It’s been 100 years…
@Eamon Guilfoyle: a very different SF!
@Eamon Guilfoyle: the SF today was formed in 1970
@Eamon Guilfoyle: yes the real Sinn Fein
If collins’ hadn’t have been killed it would have been a different gig – he was already sorting arms depots along the border so the IRA could resume their campaign…
@Thomas Harrington: Really?
Where would be best place to read up about these plans?
Genuinely new information to me.
have your say