STAFFORD: The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a Homebase TV advertisement after a B&Q complaint that it was misleading.
The advertisement showed a man and a woman decorating the area around a billboard. The billboard showed rotating images of Homebase products, bearing the text: "Extra 15% off".
A voiceover for the advertisement said: "The Homebase summer sale is now on and there's an extra 15% off everything when you spend over £50. That's an extra 15 % off all our kitchens, all bathrooms and our great range of furniture too. That's an extra 15% off everything when you spend over £50. But hurry, offer ends this Sunday, at Homebase."
B&Q complained to the ASA, claiming that the advertisement was misleading because it implied that additional discounts had already been applied to the showcased products.
Homebase responded saying that the promotion was based around a "basket approach", meaning that if a customer spent more than £50, they would be entitled to a 15% discount of the purchase.
Homebase also admitted that each product featured in the advertisement was part of an existing promotion, but not all of the products in its kitchen, bathroom and furniture ranges were.
The ASA called the "15% off everything when you spend over £50" an absolute claim, and that the advertisement emphasised a discount on the furniture, kitchen and bathroom ranges, which was not necessarily true.
The ASA ruled the advertisement misleading and it must not appear again in its current form.
