ASA tells Plus small print must be larger

The Advertising Authority have rapped the knuckles of Plusnet because their small print was too small on an advert on the back of a bus.

http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2011/...

Hope it is the start of a general crackdown on large words to grab with very small print to qualify what was intended as a misleading message.

Thanks for the laugh

One has visions of someone running along behind a bus trying to read the small print on an advert.

Small print in Terms and Conditions is a different matter.

In reply to a post by nadger:

Thanks for the laugh

The bit that amused me was "small print should be clearly visible to a normally sighted person reading the marketing communication once from a reasonable distance and at a reasonable speed".

Now then, what are reasonable distances and speeds behind a bus?

Or to quote a common sticker - "If you can read this, you are too close".

I must admit, the idea of anything being "small" that was on the side of a bus amused me too.

I know there is a serious point there, but it does sound quite funny.

FWIW The "small print" in question would have been about 3-4cm high (around 1/2 the size of characters on a car number plate), so not exactly tiny.

Small print is one thing but the content is another altogether.

When my government comes to power there will be a total ban on using the words "from" and "only" in any sales material. Similarly quoting "£30 off" by Monarch airlines (£30 off WHAT?!) when this price changes daily, will result in the directors serving life without remission in Palma Nova!

Apologies for being provoked into a minor rant!

Meldrew

also note the missing 'from' before the price.

thats just silly money for broadband. £6.49.

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

also note the missing 'from' before the price.

thats just silly money for broadband. £6.49.

Well, on a far better service than Plusnet I pay £5pm at the moment and have done for about 9 months. Many other O2 customers have been on that for longer. So they are "Beat"en on price .

Thats the potential joy of an LLU line....