In an answer to complaints filed against sub-prime lender Wonga.com, The Advertising Standards Authority (the ASA) has banned its television advertisement.
The advert in question, which makes use of the tag line “Up to £1000 within an hour,” depicted a man who, with one side of his face clean-shaven whilst his other had a full beard, played two separate characters by constantly changing his standing position to indicate which character was currently speaking. Throughout the ad light-hearted, whimsical music could be plainly heard in the background.
Viewers took issue with the presentation, raising questions as to whether it was likely to me misleading to more vulnerable viewers regarding the nature of Wonga’s loans, which are characterised by high interest rates. Viewers were concerned that the tone of the commercial could mislead unsuspecting viewers in regards to the implications behind a sub-prime personal or business loan.
Under the Broadcast Television Standards Code, more specifically rule 5.1.1 which covers misleading advertising, the advert was found to in fact be in breach and has been subsequently banned from airing as it presently appears.
The ASA explained the rationale behind its judgment by stating that they felt the tone of the advert gave misleading impressions regarding the services offered by Wonga. They cited the colourful imagery, the laughter and humour used to sell the idea of obtaining a personal or business loan, a seemingly innocuous, casual conversation, a character sporting a half beard and a costume split down the middle, and the light-hearted calliope music as an attempt by Wonga to trivialise the procedures and ramifications inherent in procuring a sub-prime loan.
A careful inspection of the advert in question will reveal that, in the small print, the APR for a standard Wonga loan can be as high as 2,689%. Wonga has not yet issued any comments or responses to the ban handed out by the Advertising Standards Authority.