Aldi has expressed disappointment at the UK ad watchdog’s decision to order the discounter to pull a TV spot comparing prices with rivals – and said complaints from rivals were “unsurprising”.
The UK’s Advertising Watchdog upheld five complaints from Asda about Aldi’s “Swap and Save” campaign. The push encouraged consumers to shop at the discounter and compare its prices with those at their regular store.
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Aldi defended the spot and was backed by Clearcast – the broadcaster-backed body that clears ads in the UK.
However, the ASA ruled the advert breached rules on misleading advertising, comparisons with competitors and on prices.
Reacting to the ASA’s verdict, Aldi said it was “wholly disappointed” by the decision.
“We worked with Clearcast to ensure compliance with current BIS pricing and BCAP codes of practice. The Swap & Save adverts are based on the actual savings of shoppers and the overall advertising message remains true; you can save money by swapping to do your weekly shop at Aldi,” the retailer said.
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By GlobalData“It is no surprise that other supermarkets are trying to find issue with our campaign as we continue to impress shoppers with both the price and quality of what we sell.
“We are confident that Aldi offers some of the best value and lowest prices in the UK, and that we do this every day as opposed to during promotional periods that you may find in other supermarkets. For these reasons, we remain committed to honestly telling people they can swap to Aldi and save money on their grocery shopping. We encourage customers of the other supermarkets to swap to Aldi and see how much they can save.”
