Misleading advertisers take note: two big names have had their adverts banned this week for telling a few porkies, and it’s bound to impact on their reputations and consumer trust.
Supermarket food giant Tesco was the first to land itself in hot water by falsely claiming all its bread is baked in store from scratch every day. Turns out the majority of its loaves are cooked from chilled or frozen.
Burger King has also been found guilty of telling a whopper this week. The fast food chain produced an advert that suggested one of its burgers was actually much bigger than it is. The Advertising Food Agency (ASA) stepped in on both occasions and gave the firms are a severe ticking off.
Tesco and Burger King aren’t the only ones to tell a few white lies. Global leader Coca-Cola was accused of false advertising by claiming the drink reduced the risk of cancer, heart disease and flu.
Fortunately, it didn’t do Coca Cola any long-lasting damage but Tesco and Burger King would do well to have a pretty nifty PR strategy if they want to have the same success. It takes time to build up a reputation and for brands to gain our trust. So it isn’t worth risking that by being economical with the truth.
At least they haven’t claimed their products give you wings like Red Bull – but that’s something we’d love to see!
