Usain BoltPart of a multimillion-pound Virgin Media campaign featuring champion sprinter Usain Bolt has been banned following complaints that the company misled consumers about pricing.

The press, circular and television adverts ran in February to promote a Virgin Media telecoms package and showed the Olympic gold medallist attempting to impersonate Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson by taking over his office and donning his trademark blonde goatee.

Consumer advice

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 18 complaints that the headline prices did not include the cost of a Virgin phone line which was compulsory.

Defending the ad, Virgin Media said it included the landline requirement in the main body of the press version, in the small print of the circular and in on-screen text.

Consumer advice


But the ASA said: "We understood that the line rental was a compulsory monthly charge which consumers were required to pay in order to obtain the bundle and because it had not been included in the quoted headline price, we concluded that the ads were misleading."

The regulator said: "The ads must not appear again in their current form.

"We told Virgin to ensure that all non-optional fees are included in the quoted headline prices in future."

In a separate ruling, the ASA upheld a complaint by BT that Virgin Media had misled consumers by claiming to provide "the UK's fastest broadband".

The ASA said: "We told Virgin not to claim that their broadband was the fastest in the UK unless they held adequate comparative evidence to substantiate that was the case."

A Virgin Media spokesman said the ads featuring Bolt had only ever been scheduled to have a limited run until the end of March.

Advertising's most ageist ads

  • Still going like the clappers?
    <p> It's not clear how old the Italian Mediterranean woman is at the helm of her elderly convertible. But clearly by using an olive-oil based spread on her ciabatta, she can still drive at a good clip.</p> <p> The ageism is more subtle here. Imagine, an older lady still able to drive quickly and competently! And actually&nbsp;<em>enjoying</em>&nbsp;the experience. Sure, it's not offensive as some ageist ads, but it's a tad patronising. Welcome to ad-land.</p>
    Still going like the clappers?
  • How old is old?
    <p> In the 1930s, anyone more than 40 was definitely middle aged and in need of Phyllosan.&nbsp;<em>Fortifies the over 40s</em>&nbsp;was one of the taglines. Phyllosan ads had the job of informing consumers their pills would restore &quot;digestive and metabolic tone strengthening the nerves and energy.&quot;<br /> <br /> There's an implied sense of threat here too. The grim-faced doctor won't have much time with a 40-year old male who hesitates to buy this &quot;life-changing&quot; medicament. Be responsible; you're officially middle aged. Buckle down.</p>
    How old is old?
  • <p> Here's another ageist piece of marketing. The hugely cash-generative insurance industry makes a lot of its money out of our own insecurities - and this ad is true to type.<br /> <br /> But a few wrinkles&nbsp;<em>are</em>&nbsp;part of ageing. It's not necessarily about being worried. How about laughter lines? Not a pitch that wouldn't have gone down well in a client planning meeting, though given the financial crisis we've been through, some lightening up would have been a useful corrective.</p>
  • Female fighters
    <p> However dreary becoming 40-plus might be, imagine how dire it was to be female and 50. Here, Mrs Georgina Weldon is truly verging on old maid-dom. However thanks to Pears soap, the ad claims her skin is like a 17-year-old.</p> <p> <br /> How many 17-year-olds dressed like that, even in the late 19th century? Mrs Georgina Weldon was, in fact a &quot;real life&quot; case study. She was also a well-known litigant and fighter for female conjugal rights. A clever women also known as 'Portia of the Law Courts'.<br /> <br /> But Georgina, that hat...</p>
    Female fighters
  • <p> Now roll forward 120 years to this Dove soap (made by Unilever) ad; it caused a lot of chatter in the US, with the authorities even part-banning the ad. The woman here is not caked in make-up or soap. Although there's probably some touching up done, it's remarkably natural-looking.</p> <p> <br /> Message: it's still okay and attractive to seek older people with no clothes. Too radical for some shocked Americans, though.</p>
  • <p> Yet some older women - even late middle age, even older - remain beautiful, vigorous and attractive, as in this Age Concern ad. But though you can see Age Concern's point, many old people look old because they&nbsp;<em>are</em>&nbsp;old. Not all older women would want to wear just a black satin bra on the front page of a newspaper.<br /> <br /> Does it make us think about age or ageism in a different way? Or is it more she looks good considering she's 60-odd? Age Concern's grey boob.</p>
  • <p> Or how about this Lucozade ad aimed at older men? You might be pushing 80 but you can still pull if you drink sugar-loaded Lucozade. Pretty crude. This ad apparently was originally shot with an older woman flanked by two semi-naked males.</p> <p> <br /> However the editor of FHM didn't think his mag would appreciate the grey-haired older woman - and asked her to be replaced by a man. Ageist&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;sexist!</p>
  • So grey, so Spar
    <p> This Spar ad is just awful, isn't it? The husband has lost his wine gums (gums). The wife can't find her ball of wool. But a quick trip - or hobble - to Spar and back and everything is okay. Note husband's gummy smile and wife's dowdy get-up.</p>
    So grey, so Spar
  • Find your confidence
    <p> The first is a neat little bit of clever reverse ageism from Elizabeth Arden. The woman in the picture is not just married (well, divorced) but dating a man younger than her son. She's independent, confident and apparently in control.<br /> <br /> And confident enough to admit the current romantic arrangements.<br /> You could criticise it for reviving the cliche of the fast older woman more interested in sex or shock value. A positive image? Sort of. And some way from the overweight bespectacled country bumpkin we started with.</p>
    Find your confidence
  • <p> Lastly, an older, grey-haired woman happy in her own skin complete with studded belt, (hand?) knitted top and punk-style tartan trousers. Let's hope Samsung sold a ton more washing machines through this ad. A confident, modern, energetic older woman. A rare find.</p>


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