UK smacks Apple for another misleading iPhone commercial
By Nilay Patel 
posted November 26th 2008 12:13PM
posted November 26th 2008 12:13PM
We figured Apple would've learned its lesson after the UK's Advertising Standards Authority banned those "the real internet" iPhone commercials, but it looks like Steve's back in detention -- the ASA just ruled that another ad claiming that the iPhone is "really fast" is also misleading enough to be pulled. You've probably seen the similar US version of the ad, which shows the iPhone 3G loading a web page, switching to Maps to locate itself, downloading an attachment, and then finally taking a call, all in 30 seconds -- yeah, that doesn't happen. Apple claimed that its "Network performance may vary by location" disclaimer was enough to keep it safe, but the ASA wasn't having that: it said that the ad was likely to lead viewers to believe the iPhone was really that speedy. Of course, we're pretty certain most people understand that reality and advertising don't really have anything do with each other, but we're not the ones in charge -- just wait till the ASA finds out that drinking gallons of beer doesn't actually make you more attractive. Check the ad in question after the break.[Thanks, David]
It's nice to see a country with some balls. This would never, ever, EVER happen in the US. It's so depressing living in this country sometimes :P
i wonder how at&t would fair in the U.K. they’ve had some of the most misleading ads ever!!!!!!!!!!
Ok I really don't get everyone's issues with these ads. Does nobody watch commercials anymore. Everything is exaggerated in commercials. Cars always look better in commercials because they are 3D models, weight loss commercials always exaggerate the results. Apple is simply trying to comvey the features of its phone in a 30 ad spot. Do all of you really want them to waste 15 seconds of their commercial your already not to fond of watching to wait for a webpage to load? This really isn't anything new. I don't get why everyone is making such a fuss.
There is exaggeration and outright misleading. The iphone case is pretty black and white, its performance will never match the performance in the ad. Apple was representing as that is how the iphone performed, when in fact it was a lot slower.
@ Drew
you obviously don't live in the UK, we don't have ads like that. They are extremely tightly controlled.
"we're pretty certain most people understand that reality and advertising don't really have anything do with each other" Yeah right, the general public has no way of knowing that those events and claims are not true.
Apple's commercials have been lying for a couple years now, it's about time that they are enforcing truth in advertising!
Get the Sprint HTC Touch Pro or the HTC Touch Diamond instead. Great phone even for WinMo. I have not had any of the issues associated with similar phones in the past. After a couple days of battery burn it I can get a whole day out of the device and I use it a lot. No lockups and the combination of EVDO Rev A, and WiFi is a winner in my book. Take that phone back to Verizon or Apple and get a good all purpose phone. Work and Fun combined!
I hope they make the commercials 3 minutes long to show actual results.
iPhone 3G doesnt load pages that fast at all here in the UK, and we knew it from the start.
but then again I could be wrong:
*Network performance will vary by location* (i.e- you won't ever get that speed)
Apple, rotten to the core.
Zak, I certainly hope you have some legitimate reason to be blindly defending Apple, because otherwise you clearly lack important CNS functions.
Good for the Brits; I wish America could do this as well, because in America, everyone who is misled by false advertisement loses except the few individuals (e.g. lawyers or people not too much smarter than Zak who sue companies for selling coffee that is too hot) who loot when they sue companies.
On a side note, this advertisement looks more blatantly false than the versions I've seen in the US.
I am really getting sick of Apple lately.
It's really too bad OSX is still a nice operating system because if it weren't, I would go back to PC.
Oh and Zak, please don't reply to that.
With the new comments system, nobody will bother to read your low-ranked comments anyway.
But then I'm probably asking too much from someone who cannot tell the difference between a machine's speed being advertise vs. something like an opinion or service provided by human beings, which are variable for obvious reasons.
It's entertaining that Zak is very worried about why American commercials are not being taken down by a British regulatory commission. Last time I watched tv on my trip to London, I didn't see a single ad for DiGorno pizza or Axe like the ones you describe. And the Storm wasn't out yet.
America doesn't regulate it's commercials to the same degree. People can lie all the time in commercials in the US, and any time the government tries to step in, people scream that they should "Stay out of the way of business."
Sick of hearing form Zak? Check out my Grease Monkey script, specifically designed to block Zak. It makes Engadget a more pleasant and respectful place.
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/36579
HOLY! did apple comeout with a NEW iphone??!
the one i currently have (3G) is no where NEAR that fast....
i gotta get me one of thouse....
/sarcasm
[QUOTE]we're pretty certain most people understand that reality and advertising don't really have anything do with each other[/QUOTE]
It cannot be argued that reality and advertising go hand in hand however just saying that they already bend the truth so why not just let them break it leads us to a very bad place. False claims don't belong in advertising, it's great that the UK authorities are actually doing something about one.
Unfortunately lots of people would see this commercial and think that the iPhone actually has all that speed, they wouldn't recognise that it is just "TV Magic". After all half the people in this world have an IQ below average. The other half shouldn't be allowed to take advantage of them because of it.
@ Zak
"And that's not even the phone's fault"...
Yes, it is. The radio equipment, antenna, antenna position, HSDPA modem, and the software they use can all effect singal strenth, quality, and consistancy.
I'n not saying all 3g towers are in tip-top form, just pointing out that the hardware and software of a phone is just as responsible for signal strength, quality and consistancy.
Post: Just wait till the ASA finds out that drinking gallons of beer doesn't actually make you more attractive.
Actually advertising standards in the UK prohibit alcohol adverts from doing this already.
Perhaps an astronaut with an iPhone in space would get a GPS hit in about a second. Too bad the iPhone will have no clue where the hell you are on the map.
man... i might have to go to the UK just to watch T.V! sounds great! altough ill have to get a new sence of humor.....
they are showing this in sweden to.
FTA: "just wait till the ASA finds out that drinking gallons of beer doesn't actually make you more attractive"
This is already ruled on in the ASA guidelines section 11.8.1(c) http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/codes/tv_code/tv_codes/Section+11+-+Other+Categories+New.htm:
"Advertisements must not link alcohol with sexual activity or success or imply that alcohol can enhance attractiveness."
I only know this because it was in Screenwipe this week, I'm not that sad: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fqq3t/Charlie_Brookers_Screenwipe_Series_4_Episode_2/
Australian iPhone ads now say that the whole sequence has been sped up for the commercial.
Hahaa, just saw this one.
The advert now has the subtext 'Sequence shortened.', otherwise it remains unchanged.