Apple Ad Banned for Misleading Viewers

[Cody Overcash]

There is a lot of heat concerning the iPhone right now most recently a lawsuit being filed against Apple for false advertising and countless questions about reception issues.

The latest installment problems comes from an Apple ad shown in the U.K. At least two people complained to the ASA (UK's Advertising Standards Authority) that the iPhone commercial was misleading because of the wording "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone."



The complaint on misleading advertising is centered on Java and Flash which are not supported on the iPhone but are very commonly used on webpages across the internet. When contacted by the ASA Apple's response was that the iPhone supports open web standards and they can't be expected to support third party plug-ins and technology. Apple went on further to claim that "all parts of the internet" was only in reference to internet availability and not to the functionality of individual web pages.

Unfortunately for Apple, the ASA disagrees and the ad has been pulled from UK television. The ASA decided that the ad implies "users would be able to access all websites and see them in their entirety," and that "the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone."

[via pocket-link and engadget]

[thetoothfairy]

Wow.... what a mess Apple's in right now.... I wonder if all of this stuff about the iphone will quite down when things gets fixed.... and now this!

[RByers]

now they just need to fix their ad about twice the speed half the price since half the price is bull$@#* since my bill went up 20 bucks a month. But I do love the phone just hate the false ads!

[kennyleeme]

hell yeah stupid apple

[hackmyfone!!]

well java and flash are big parts of the Internet..... How are we suppose to see the moving ads without it?!?! LOL jk

[lsixecho]

I believe lying is the word you are looking for, not misleading.

[powa]

I actually support Apple this time. People get jealous at something when it made success, so they try to find ways to sue all the nice companies that makes nice product. Guess what, all they want is money. Seriously, if they want to sue for money, instead go and try earn by themselves. Stop acting dumb idiot!

[hackmyfone!!]

@powa understand what your talking about but from what I read this isn't about money more in the lines they just want the adds taken down.

[dimaggio]

Well... I find this a bit more misleading. You can't place the icons wherever you want on the screen, although the iTunes icon is placed to the right all through the commercial.

[saifeeab]

apple hit the hammer on its own foot and now slowly feeling the pain of it...way to go APPLE.

[Happy Noodle Boy]

Well... I find this a bit more misleading. You can't place the icons wherever you want on the screen, although the iTunes icon is placed to the right all through the commercial.

This was in the later firmwares. When the iTunes store was released, it was as shown. Pretty clever too, having the icon being an arrow pointing to the iPod app, since that's what the store did.

[Eurisko]

Apple can't be held responsible for peoples misinterpretation and inferred meaning in Ads. Heck, Ads agencies count on this to sell their product. Why isn't there a class action law suit against all companies who don't live up to their promises. Apple is an easy target because its on top; two words friends... jealousy and greed.

[jayson9]

How about those mis-leading commercials over here in the US? The one were the 3G iPhone is blazing thru websites and apps.

Appearing to be as fast (or faster) than DSL or Cable speeds? Am I the only one who have seen them??? Haven't heard anybody else mention.

[MetallicaFan1991]

3G's fast here in England anyway,I really like the Mac vs. PC adverts but the iPod and iPhone adverts suck.

Apple, why don't you put flash in????????????????????????????????????? Or give people the option to install it seeing as it's not your iPhone, it's MINE!!!!!!!

[E-Dragon]

They are misleading period! They have from day one... The phone does NOT give you the full internet... Com'on How may people have gotten "Safari can not load this page" or the pretty little blue Lego block where a picture was supposed to be.... Even tho they never say it is the FULL internet they most certainly do imply it and even claimed the “whole internet”... Hmm I can’t recall IE, Firefox, etc. ever telling me it is unable to download a page simply because it doesn’t support it.. The first gen phone and firmware it may of been understandable... But... Geezus!
3G now and 2.0.2 firmware and still no full support of what 90% of the WWW is using in page construction........Point being: If you are going to make a product to surf the web, make one that will. I was getting almost this much coverage of a web page on my Motorola SLVR three years ago..............

Way to go ASA !
Sorry, but Apples excuse is LAME! Com’on this is like saying “ Well I know that vehicle I sold you won’t go down most streets, it will just stall, because it will only work on certain ones” “After all we can’t liable to let it take you where ever you want to go - But Hey! At least you know the streets are there”

[Muggz5]

Apple can't be held responsible for peoples misinterpretation and inferred meaning in Ads. Heck, Ads agencies count on this to sell their product. Why isn't there a class action law suit against all companies who don't live up to their promises. Apple is an easy target because its on top; two words friends... jealousy and greed.

I agree with what you are saying, but in this situation I dont think it applies. (or maybe this is what you were intending to mean) In my business I have a once a week meeting to determine our ads that we are going to run for the week. I can tell you this, in a flooded market you have to be creative and push the boundaries of ethics and truth. Its not what you say but how you say it. Apple is to blame because they are pushing the envelope with their claims. But still they got away with it while they could, they know what they were claiming, and fully intended on letting it ride until they were told not to.

Hehehehe until I see an ad for flash capabilities, cut n paste, and full downloading/uploading capabilities Ill just let the ads sell to the folks who dont know any better....

[domenicp]

Hehehehe until I see an ad for flash capabilities, cut n paste, and full downloading/uploading capabilities Ill just let the ads sell to the folks who dont know any better....

Totally agree with what you're saying, but weren't already sold since you have an iphone.

[mtwiford]

Apple cannot be responsible for different peoples interpretations of the internet. This will be thrown out in court as a technicality. They have never claimed that the phone supported flash and java in an ad. Thats like suing walmart because they claim to be a one stop shop, but they dont have macbooks. Any judge in his right mind will throw it out. I can understand the suit with the reception problem, but I think that will be more of AT&T's problem than apple.

[Cherrysoda_zx]

Sorry, but Apples excuse is LAME! Com’on this is like saying “ Well I know that vehicle I sold you won’t go down most streets, it will just stall, because it will only work on certain ones” “After all we can’t liable to let it take you where ever you want to go - But Hey! At least you know the streets are there”

lol

[arekisu]

Right at the end it says, "All the parts of the internet are on the iPhone".

Well flash and java aren't there, so Apple is lying.