25 March 2008

ASA rules against adverts by green campaigners

Green campaign groups opposed to UK airport expansion have been misleading the public, advertising regulators have ruled.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints that national press ads from environment campaigners AirportWatch and enoughsenough were misleading and should not be repeated.

A full page advertisement in the national press taken out by the two campaign groups featured a picture of Gordon Brown and made claims that were found to have breached the Code of Advertising Practice in two areas (3.1) Substantiation and 7.1 (Truthfulness).

The ASA also found that a claim in the ads that Ã¢â¬Ëœ60% of people in an ICM Poll had said no to airport expansion anywhere in the UK' was had Ã¢â¬Ëœmisrepresented the results of the surveyÃ¢â¬â¢ and were Ã¢â¬Ëœlikely to misleadÃ¢â¬â¢.

In a formal adjudication, the ASA went on to say that figures used for aviation emissions were also Ã¢â¬Ëœlikely to misleadÃ¢â¬â¢ because they were based on the campaignersÃ¢â¬â¢ own emissions calculations rather than official data.

Clive Soley, campaign director of Future Heathrow said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœThe adjudication is very serious. It shows that these groups who represent some of the most vocal campaigning organisations against plans for HeathrowÃ¢â¬â¢s sustainable expansion, have used polls and data to mislead the public.

"The public should be aware that some of their advertising is misleading and they should look at it with care.Ã¢â¬~

By Bev Fearis