A TV ad for the charity Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) by Watson Philips Norman has been banned after it over-promoted the work of healthcare professionals to tug at consumers’ heart-strings.
The ad followed the work of VSO volunteer doctor Natasha, with the voiceover stating: “What would you do next? You could do something lifesaving. You could call 0800 093 80 80 and give two pounds a month to VSO so we can send more volunteers like Natasha…to where they can save children’s lives.”
But one viewer complained to the Advertising Standards Authority and challenged whether the ad was misleading, because he believed it implied all VSO volunteers were doctors and that all donations were used to help save babies.
In its defence, VSO said health work similar to that seen in the ad accounted for 26% of the previous financial year’s expenditure and therefore the number of health volunteers they sent overseas was not insubstantial. It added the ad deliberately referred to “volunteers” rather than doctors and that it was not its intention to mislead.
But while the ASA considered the ad did not imply that all VSO volunteers were doctors, the regulator ruled it was misleadingly suggested that all donations were used in the field of health care.
Ruling the ad must not be broadcast again in its current form, the ASA warned VSO to ensure future ads did not imply funds would be used in a specific field if that was not the case.
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