Tesco has claimed victory in the first round of its battle with Sainsbury’s over its Price Promise promotion, with the ad watchdog clearing its advertising but triggering a swift response from its rival.
Sainsbury’s has now launched a counter-offensive in the form of a press ad campaign under the strapline “Same Price, different value”. The ads (pictured) claim its own Brand Match scheme makes fairer and clearer price comparisons than Tesco.
The row first erupted when Tesco launched its Price Promise ads earlier this year. Sainsbury’s complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, claiming that it was impossible to compare certain own-brand items.
As an example, Sainsbury’s said its bananas are Fair Trade, while Tesco’s are not, and that its cheapest cooked ham is entirely sourced from Britain, while Tesco’s is not.
However, the ASA has ruled in favour of Tesco’s campaign, stating: “While we acknowledged there would be differences in animal welfare and country of origin for the ingredients, we were satisfied that Tesco had taken those elements into account when identifying and matching products and had compared on the basis of them meeting the same need.”
Sainsbury’s commercial director Mike Coupe said: “We’re disappointed of course that the ASA didn’t feel able to challenge Tesco’s view that customers don’t care all that much about where their food originates or how it is produced, but most of all we’re dumbfounded that Tesco made this argument in the first place.
“I don’t understand how Tesco can simply make up its own rules on what makes for a fair comparison. They claim to meet standards like MSC and Freedom Foods but they won’t sign up. That’s like me claiming I’m an airline pilot but refusing to take any exams.”