Another Apple iPhone 3G advert has been pulled from our screens because a handful - albeit a rather horrible hand with 17 fingers - of pedants complained that it wasn't realistic.
The Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) bowed to a trickle of complaints that an iPhone 3G advert claimed that the handset is "really fast".
The moaners objected to the fact that the ad showed pages loading rather quickly... ok, "really fast".
What do these people expect - Apple to air a two-minute advert where the iPhone is shown laboriously loading a range of average web pages?
Do these crazies also complain when actors in telly ads brew a cup of steaming coffee in about 5 seconds flat before they fall into some unbelievably unfunny comic situation? Surely no kettle on Earth could boil that fast.
Or what about the ads where a fat man and his lazy son clean an entire kitchen in about 3 seconds, with Flash or whatever? Other commercials regularly show a disgusting plate go in a dishwasher, only for it to be plucked out 5 seconds later glistening like a polished diamond in a mirror factory.
Please tell us, ASA, how these blatant, appalling lies are allowed to brainwash the gullible, while a 30-second Apple iPhone ad has to adhere to the strict laws of time?
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Comments
Micro Softy said: I dont think sarcasmirony was involved at all Just pure unadulterated Apple fanboy-ism Any other company putting out a similarly misleading advert would probably in his blinkered mind have been guilty of the greatest crime of all time but because it has an Apple on it Simon Jary cant possibly see anything wrong with it Apple are just another company who will lie cheat and steal to get consumers to hand over money but because idiots like Jary are so willing to take whatever they throw out as the physical embodiment of God which must be worshipped they are considered beyond reproachSad stupid little man
Mal said: or just stupidovacant
Darnit said: Er I think the guy was being sarcasticironic
Ron said: Almost forgot - Apple have been done for this in the past too Dont they - or you - learn
Ron said: Come off it Simon A jar of coffee costs a tiny fraction of the price of an iPhone and your comparison is facile The ad clearly misrepresented an expensive piece of kit - and was rightly pulledOther companies advertising similar gadgets on TV manage to include disclaimers in their ads to the effect that what was shown was not actually possible in reality - Apple it seems dont feel they need to Arrogant sods
Tarmon said: Simple Simonagain
Michael J said: Oh dont be so silly Simon The advert was completely misleading as the whole point of the spoken word was how fast the iPhone was and yet it showed speeds that cannot be attained on a real iPhone The average consumer would see what appears to be a phone operating at a certain speed that can never actually happen with the spoken word indicating how fast it was - almost an attempt at deceit The other adverts you cite are completely different affairs as you well know
simonjary said: I forgot about the chimps Good point
A Pedant said: Why have these people complained Because the ad is being used to show a capability of the product which the actual product cannot match It is against ASA guidelines to falsely advertise as fact something which cannot be substantiated in case you didnt realise According to your pointless argument it should be perfectly fine for Apple to say Our iPhone can make your chimpanzee play the piano because they showed that in PG advertsWhat an utterly stupid article Dont give up the day job