Advertisment
The advertisement appeared as a sponsored post on Facebook and encouraged viewers to learn more about enrolling in the 5th and 6th year programmes on offer.
The advertisement featured an image of a teacher with some information about them as well as a testimonial. Large text at the top of the image stated,
“Imagine Having Teachers
This Good Every Day
___________________
Only At Ashfield College”
The advertisers’ contact details were included towards the bottom of the image, as well as a link to the advertisers’ website.
Complaint
The complainant considered that the lines featured in the advertisement, “Imagine having teachers this good every day” and “only at Ashfield College”, were implying that teachers in other educational institutions were inferior in some way. They said that as this claim was not something which could be measured or proven, it was misleading in its nature.
Response
In response, the advertisers stated that the statement “only at Ashfield College” was a factual statement as the teachers featured in the advertisements did not teach elsewhere. They said that this was used as an introductory heading before they outlined each teacher’s details and experience.
The advertisers explained that the phrase, “Imagine having teachers this good every day” was a simple call to action for the reader to consider studying at Ashfield College and that in no way, shape or form were they implying that teachers in other institutions were “inferior” as alleged, only that their school and their teachers should be given due consideration.
Conclusion
Complaint Upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response.
The Committee noted that while the statements “Imagine having teachers this good every day” and “only at Ashfield College” were separated by a line, within the context and design of the advertisement, they could be understood as being a complete claim. This claim could, the Committee considered, be that it was only Ashfield College that had ‘teachers this good every day’. The Committee did not consider that it was clear that the claim related to the fact that the teachers only taught at Ashfield College. The Committee therefore considered that when taken as a whole and in context, the advertisement made an implicit superlative comparison with other educational facilities.
In the circumstances, the Committee considered that the placement of the claim “only at Ashfield College” in this instance was likely to mislead and in breach of Sections 4.01, 4.04, 4.09, 4.10, 4.31, 4.32 and 4.33.
