UK: Sponsored Twitter Football Advertising Campaign Banned

[engine]

That's a fine line. Is it a sponsored message or not!
UK: Sponsored Twitter Football Advertising Campaign Banned [bbc.co.uk]

The UK's advertising watchdog has banned a Nike Twitter campaign in its original form.

The ruling follows tweets by Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney and his Arsenal rival Jack Wilshere, posted at the request of the sportswear firm.

The Advertising Standards Authority said that the messages did not make clear they were "identifiable as marketing communications".

It marks the first time the ASA has acted against a Twitter-based campaign.

[Leosghost]

According to the BBC the aforementioned "banned" tweets are still up however..

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Saying they are banned without a court order in hand is just meaningless hot breath. This would seem to be one of those situations that merits saying we'll let a judge rule on the issue.

[Frank_Rizzo]

The ASA have no powers. Rooney / Nike can carry on doing as they please. Only if ASA refer the case to a higher authority would the tweets be banned.

The ASA only offer guidance and assistance. They have the least teeth of all the toothless watchdogs we have in this country.

The only "crime" rooney / nike have committed is not indicating that the tweets were an advertisment.

It's happened before with celebrities promoting chocolate bars, toiletries and cars. I'm more amazed they would treat their fans with contempt just for a free lease of a Range Rover or a crate of Snickers.

[Leosghost]

There was time ( waaaaay back in the day, early days of the ASA ) when we would run a new campaign ( in rough ) by the ASA ..and if they said " you are pulling our leg , nah leave it"..it would not go live..without their "recommendations" being incorporated..

Being shamed in the "trade" and having people "tut tuting" you in the bars around Tottenham Court road and Goodge street was "not on"..

Then came Maggie and Murdoch and the Saatchi's..and ethics went swiftly down the drains at Centre Point..and the ladies of SOHO had the high moral ground over most of the heads of the UK ad business..

And the press discovered that the "fleet" is indeed lower than the street ..so they rode the gutter straight to the sewers below..

I left it all about then and retired to the country ..)

I didn't know spud could type..other than long rows of X..maybe his tweets are "ghosted" ? :) His other "writing" is ..

[Gmorgan]

Wayne Rooney can type?

[Leosghost]

I was right ..It wasn't spud ..he just has "me chillin" programmed in by someone for him apparently , the tweet was indeed "ghosted"..:)

From The Register..

Followers of Wayne Rooney might have mistaken his tweet about Nike in January as a genuine expression of the footballer's thoughts, the ASA suggested. In fact, the tweet was composed by "a member of the Nike marketing team".

[theregister.co.uk...]

[brotherhood of LAN]

Wayne Rooney can type?

Only when his hair isn't in his eyes...


I remember the ASA taking this stance before. The simplest solution IMO (due to lack of character space) would be for Twitter to add some kind of icon to indicate it's a "sponsored message".