ASA Adjudication on The Number UK Ltd

Ad

A regional press ad, for a directory enquiries provider, was in the form of a cartoon strip. It showed a man, injured on a mountain, asking the operator to put him through to the Air Ambulance service. The man was then rescued by the two 118 characters in the Air Ambulance. The last caption ended with the claim “MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS”.

Issue

The complainant objected that the ad was misleading and irresponsible because the call to 118 118 rather than to 999 implied that dialling 118 118 was the correct way to contact the emergency services.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

The Number UK (Number) said the ad campaign was designed to show fictional characters in humorous fantasy scenarios that depicted the independent services available via 118 118.  They believed it was abundantly clear to the general public that 118 118 was a directory enquiries service and that it offered telephone access to millions of businesses that provided a very wide range of goods and services.  They argued that the cartoons did not seek to make a literal representation, but, rather, constituted a humorous series of tales that involved the fictional 118 118 characters.  They said whenever they directly represented a 118 118 operator, they made clear their exact role.  To illustrate their point, they supplied an example of an ad that highlighted dentistry services, where the caller could not talk clearly due to toothache and the 118 118 operator suggested texting instead.  The Number maintained that, although that cartoon depicted the 118 118 characters as dentists, no one could possibly conclude they were available and ready to perform dentistry.  

The Number said they routinely took calls from members of the public who required 999 services.  They explained that in that case they would immediately give them the 999 number.  If a caller asked for an Air Ambulance, they said the operator would ascertain whether the call was an emergency or a request for an Air Ambulance switchboard.  They pointed out that 118 118 did receive calls from people in serious distress and that sometimes it was important to keep the caller on the line, in which case the operator would call 999 themselves and give every assistance, as happened, for example, with a call from an epilepsy sufferer who sank into a coma.  

The Number said they were a major corporate sponsor of the Thames Valley & Chilterns Air Ambulance and had donated £50,000 to their new Air Ambulance appeal in June.  They said the ad was intended to celebrate the sterling work of air ambulances.  They sent a promotional press photograph from the appeal that showed the two 118 118 characters in an air ambulance.  They added that the tagline "More than just numbers" had been discontinued and that all cartoon ads now carried the tagline "Here to Help".

The Metro said they had received no complaints about the ad.  They said it was part of a year-long campaign which featured a different cartoon each day.  They endorsed the Numbers argument that the ads depicted fictional characters in humorous fantasy scenarios which highlighted the available services.  They said the artwork for each daily cartoon was approved by their Legal department, and that the ad in question was designed to give a discreet nod to the Numbers commitment to raising money for the Thames Valley & Chilterns Air Ambulance.     

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted the injured mountaineer dialled a directory enquiries service for an Air Ambulance and was subsequently rescued by the 118 118 characters in a helicopter.  We also noted the ad made no reference to the 999 number as the most direct way to contact Air Ambulance or Mountain Rescue services.  We noted, furthermore, the Number routinely took emergency calls from the public and would redirect them to 999 where appropriate.  We considered that the depiction of the two well-known 118 118 characters, dressed in shorts and vests and holding on to a rope while the patient was winched into a helicopter, made it clear that the rescue story should be seen in a humorous and not a literal way.  We also considered that the ad did not imply 118 118 was the correct way to contact the emergency services, or that 118 118 was an emergency service in its own right, but merely that the Air Ambulance was an example of the kind of service that could be reached.  We concluded that the ad was not irresponsible and that it was unlikely to mislead.

We investigated the ad under CAP Code clauses 2.2 (Responsible advertising), 7.1 (Truthfulness) and 10.1 (Safety) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action required.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)