007 Magazine Archive Ltd
6 New Street
Lydd
New Romney
Kent
TN29 9DJ
- Trading As:
- 007 Magazine
- Product:
- 007 Magazine
Background Information
Misleading Advertising – http://www.007magazine.co.uk/, a magazine for James Bond enthusiasts, has failed to substantiate claims about its international circulation, a comparative claim about its archive and that a testimonial was genuine.
The ASA published an adjudication against 007 Magazine & Archive Ltd, a company providing information and resources on James Bond films and merchandise, on 21 December 2011. The advertiser’s website claimed "Purchased internationally in over 40 countries since 1979", "Number One James Bond archival source" and featured the testimonial "No real James Bond fan can ever miss a copy of 007 MAGAZINE".
007 Magazine did not produce robust evidence to show that the claims or testimonial were genuine. In the absence of substantiation that showed that they were genuine, the ASA concluded that the claims and testimonial were misleading and in breach of the Code.
Although the ASA has adjudicated against 007 Magazine and has made several subsequent requests for an assurance of future compliance, 007 Magazine continues to feature the amended, but nonetheless problematic claim of “premier James Bond archival source" on its website; http://www.007magazine.co.uk/. Because of 007 Magazine’s continued non-compliance we took the decision to place its details on this section of the ASA website. These details shall remain in place until such time as 007 Magazine has appropriately amended its website to ensure compliance with the ASA adjudication and the CAP Code.
Summary of ASA ruling (21 December 2011)
The 007 Magazine website, visited in August 2011, stated "THE WORLD'S FOREMOST JAMES BOND RESOURCE Purchased internationally in over 40 countries since 1979". Further text read "No real James Bond fan can ever miss a copy of 007 MAGAZINE... The 007 MAGAZINE website is a unique presence on the World Wide Web and is the world's Number One James Bond archival source for 007 enthusiasts, students of cinema & literature, and the media alike".
A complainant challenged whether:
1. the claim "Purchased internationally in over 40 countries since 1979" was misleading and could be substantiated;
2. the claim "Number One James Bond archival source" was misleading and could be substantiated; and
3. the testimonial "No real James Bond fan can ever miss a copy of 007 MAGAZINE" was genuine.
The ASA noted that the evidence sent by 007 Magazine in support of the first claim was prepared in 1995, when we understood the magazine was still distributed to all members of the "James Bond 007 Fan Club". We considered the information showed that in 1995, the fan club had members in over 40 countries but we understood that the magazine was no longer associated with the fan club. Furthermore, we considered that the claim "Purchased internationally in over 40 countries worldwide since 1979" should be supported by up-to-date distribution figures that had been independently audited to ensure that they were accurate and verifiable. Because we had not seen up to date, independently audited distribution figures, we concluded the claim had not been substantiated and was misleading.
We considered readers would understand the claim "Number One James Bond archival source" in relation to the website to mean that it was the most visited site of its kind and we therefore considered that it should be supported by comparative, independently audited website visitor figures. Because we had not seen independently audited website visitor figures, we concluded the claim had not been substantiated and was misleading.
Because 007 Magazine no longer held documentary evidence that demonstrated the testimonial was genuine, we concluded the ad breached the Code.
Relevant Adjudication
