Watchdog raps Homebase over misleading adverts

THE advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint against DIY chain Homebase that one of its promotional campaigns was misleading.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) agreed with the complainant that an advert broadcast on TV and radio earlier this year gave the impression that shoppers purchasing items during a national discount day would be able to do so in 
conjunction with other offers.

In its ruling, the watchdog said: “We concluded the ads were misleading, because the overall impression of each of the ads was that the national discount day offer could be used in conjunction with all other Homebase offers, when that was not in fact the case. We also concluded the statement ‘exclusions apply’ in the radio ad contradicted, rather than clarified, that impression.”

The ASA told the company the adverts, which promised 15 per cent off “on top of our other great offers”, must not appear again in their current form.

Homebase said it had thought the time constraints of TV and radio adverts meant it could bring consumers’ attention to exclusions in an abridged manner. The company said the adverts did not say that the 15 per cent discount applied to “all” their other offers, and indicated to consumers that exclusions might apply. The company noted that the radio promotion specifically stated “exclusions apply”.