ASA Non-broadcast Adjudication: Hidden Faces

Complaint

Objection to an advertisement, for a talent agency, that was headed "TV EXTRAS WANTED" and claimed "Book will be sent BBC - Eastenders [sic]". The complainant, objected that the advertisement was misleading, because it implied that the advertisers provided Eastenders with extras, whereas the advertisers were not on the BBC''s list of approved agencies.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Adjudication

Complaint upheld

The advertisers said they had not claimed that they supplied extras to Eastenders, only that they supplied Eastenders with their directories. The advertisers sent a copy of a letter they sent to Eastenders which stated that they had enclosed their directory.

The Authority understood that the BBC only hired extras from their approved agencies list and that Hidden Faces was not on that list. It considered that readers would interpret the claim "Book will be sent BBC - Eastenders" as meaning that they had a chance of working for the BBC on Eastenders. Because no extras from Hidden Faces could appear on Eastenders, the Authority considered that the advertisement was misleading. It told the advertisers to ensure that, in future, they did not imply they could provide their extras with work with employers, when they could not.