dec 02 2004

it is misleading pt.2

so a work collegue mailed the asa (advertising standards authority of south africa) and asked them about that ad by telkom that is misleading... asa told him that they have received a few complaints and they're looking into it. that was about 2-3 weeks ago... today, he got a pdf document report of what went down.

first i would like to highlight that once again telkom believes that everybody in sa who has seen the ad is under the impression that what the ad portrayed is something that will happen only in the future and it hasn't actually really happened yet...

excerpts from the asa directorate ruling:
1. complainants (sp?) pointed out the following:

the commercial tells the story of "juma", a tanzanian boy who has "...just turned six...". the commercial explains that this would not have been possible had it not been for the "...emergency operation, performed by cape town heart surgeon doctor anton louw". the commercial explains, "...the real miracle is that juma and anton were three thousand miles apart, thanks to isdn technology". at the end of the commercial the pay-off line "touch tomorrow" appears on screen, and the voiceover states "from telephones, to distant surgery and this is just the beginning"

2. response:

the respondent submits that the aim of the commercial is a creative rendition of what technology and the advances in technology can do to enhance the lives of customers. technically speaking, it is possible to have one surgeon direct another to perform specialised procedures using video conferencing, which might be made possible by isdn technlogy in the near future.

3. actual complaint:

the complainants believe that the commercial is misleading based on the fact that there is no isdn technology in tanzania, nor has remote surgery ever been performed in south africa. telkom is misleading consumers into believing that the event has actually taken place, when it has not.

4. result:

respondent is required to: - withdraw the commercial in its current format - the process of withdrawing this commercial must be actioned with immediate effect - the process of withdrawing the commercial must be completed within the deadlines in clause 15.3 of the procedural guide, and - the commercial may not be used in future

this is good news, telkom may believe it can do anything it pleases but not today. i can't wait for the monopoly to one day be over...

Posted by sarah | information, debate