Virgin Media rapped over anti-Sky mailer

The Advertising Standards Authority has banned an anti-Sky direct mail advert run by Virgin Media on grounds that it was "denigratory and likely to mislead".



The campaign featured highly critical testimonials from ex-Sky customers about the satellite broadcaster's customer service and picture quality.

The direct mailer also claimed that Virgin Media offers high definition channels for free, while Sky charges £10 extra a month. It further said that cable TV customers enjoy free set up, while Sky charges up to £60.

Unsurprisingly, Sky complained about the ad on grounds that the testimonials were "denigratory" and the claims were deceiving, as they compared Virgin Media's special offers with Sky's standard prices.

Sky further objected to the fact that the ad did not flag up the fact that Virgin Media offers "significantly fewer" HD channels in its basic HD package than Sky's.

In its ruling, the ASA decided that the testimonial claims from ex-Sky customers "went beyond a comparison of the services being offered by the two companies" and were "denigratory and likely to mislead".

The watchdog noted that at the time the advert was issued, Sky was providing existing customers with free Sky+ HD set-up when they ordered online, which made Virgin Media's claims about set-up costs misleading.

It also ruled that Virgin Media should have been more upfront about its HD services, as Sky customers paying the basic £10 a month would receive 18 HD channels compared to the 12 offered on Virgin's basic HD pack.

"We considered that the claim [about HD channels] would be interpreted by most readers as a statement that Virgin customers on a basic package would receive the same number of HD channels as Sky basic package customers," said the ASA. "Because this was not the case, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead."

After finding multiple breaches of the advertising code, the ASA told Virgin Media that the ad must not appear again "in its current form".

I always think that companies taking shots at their competitors is rather cheap.

Surely better to advertise the reasons why to buy from me, than denigrate my competitors?