ASA bans Stansted Express adverts
Stansted Express has been told off by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for poster adverts at the airport.
The ASA has banned the posters, which imply the train reaches central London in 35 minutes, when it actually takes 45 minutes.
The posters, at Stansted Airport, used the text ‘Train to London 35 minutes’ alongside images of the capital such a Big Ben, the London Eye and Nelson’s column.
Although the trains reach Tottenham Hale in 35 minutes, the ASA said the use of the images strongly implied that the train took 35 minutes to reach central London.
“We considered that the simplicity of the message could potentially confuse visitors about where in the city they would get to in 35 minutes,†said the ASA assessment.
“We considered that the combination of the text ‘35 minutes’ alongside the images of iconic central London landmarks, implied that travellers would reach central London within that time and that because this was not the case, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead.â€
National Express, which operates the airport rail link, said it used tourist landmarks to help travellers who did not speak English.
But it has accepted the ruling and has begun to change the ads.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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