Groupon's pants 'Weight Loss HOTPANTS' ad banned

Groupon has got into fresh trouble with the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), this time over pants. Today's ruling on a Groupon advert for "Weight Loss HOTPANTS" is the latest in a string of recent advertising complaints upheld against the coupon-pushers – they most recently had problems pushing snake oil and boob jobs – …

[Anonymous Coward]

These 'punishments' need to change

It's time that they had the power to be able to dish slightly more appropriate punishments along the lines of:

"The ASA ruled that Groupon be banned from carrying out any form of advertising in mainstream media for 12 months, followed by a 12 month supervision period where all new marketing material must be vetted by the ASA before release and any expenses for carrying out this must be paid for by Groupon. The ASA also started the initial proceedings for a class action on behalf of any customers purchasing a product during this period based on the misleading claims"

And double those penalties for anyone making claims backed up by fraudulent 'science'. Until repurcussions of this sort become viable, those marketing types will never learn.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Pre-vetting adverts

There is a procedure for pre-vetting adverts. FCUK* got put on the naughty step, because they kept breaking the code, and so had to have all their adverts approved, before they were allowed to put them out. I don't know if are any extra penalties other than that.

*Personally I think FCUK ought to have been fined for their inability to spell...

[Greg J Preece]

Inability to spell?

French Connection United Kingdom.

Sure, it might be a lame ploy to sell t-shirts, but it's a valid acronym.

[mdava]

That's a tired, tired campaign. I wish they'd stop it.

[John Tserkezis]

Inability to spell? → #

So's the South Harman Institute of Technology (ref Accepted (2006))

Either way, I assure you, those words were hand-picked by a panel of marketing droids to maximise impact.

[Hans Upp]

ASA = Nagging powers

With this Tory government (+ some hangers-on to shield the flack) you've got no chance of giving any teeth to the ASA.

Its called "Free Enterprise" and they applaud it.

aka . . . con anyone, with anything, at any time, and this bunch will give you a pat on the back for it. What the hell do you think they MEAN when they talk about de-regulation?

Its a crooks and con-men's charter.

[Anonymous Coward]

IT WON'T BE LONG

Before Groupon are a distant memory....

[Just Thinking]

Does anybody run an offer on Groupon more than once?

Banning them from repeating the ad seems a bit pointless.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes

Administrors and management companies of insolvent companies.

Also managers of companies about to become insolvent.

:)

[Mr Young]

Is this therapy?

With the pissing myself laughing I'm not sure if my bladder can hack the pace?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Is This Therapy?

No, Therapy? are an Irish rock band with a new album out next week.

[Anonymous Coward]

therapy? new album. awesome.

turns out it was worth reading the comments. who'd've thunk it eh?

[Anonymous Coward]

Groupon are just e-mailing subscribed users "this company are offering this" and it is down to the company to make sure their product and description match up. If this was the sunday times running another dodgy Virgin or Ryanair advert then the paper would escape punishment and Virgin or Ryanair would take the blame.

So why are Groupon getting the stick and not the person who created the ad and supplied the product in the first place?

[Anonymous Coward]

because

Groupon take a percentage of sales income from the advertiser, not a fixed fee for the advert so are an associate, not just an advertising seller.

the ASA usually rule way after the campaign has ended so make no difference to the ad being shown again.

[DrXym]

Slight difference

"If this was the sunday times running another dodgy Virgin or Ryanair advert then the paper would escape punishment and Virgin or Ryanair would take the blame."

The Sunday Times is not taking a cut of the profits of selling that product. Groupon is and should be considered a co-defendent in any complaint.

[Cosmo]

I remember seeing that Groupon advert

I remember seeing that advert and thinking, "what moron would possibly think that wearing some hot-pants would magically lead to weight loss"

I expect some people bought them though - more money than sense.

As a previous commenter mentioned, the ASA need to have the power to do more than just telling companies not to do it again. Groupon are typically a "one-shot" type promo, so telling them not to do it again is not exactly much of a punishment, is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Weight loss hucksters

Over here, the TV ads are pushing this "weight loss supplement" incredibly hard. It has a long medical sounding Latin-ish name, so I looked it up, and.... it's a Japanese candy. Of course it's got the FDA-warding "not a medical item" tinyprint.

Can't decide between facepalm, WTF? and FAIL for that one!

[Mike Flugennock]

Jeezus... WTF...?

Never mind the false advertising brouhaha; I'm just amazed that some huckster's still out there trying to sell magical weight-loss workout togs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYvz1-ThCHY

[Anonymous Coward]

Magic weight-loss underpants

Magic weight-loss underpants - I hear they are very popular in Utah.

[Anonymous Coward]

Mitt Romney could make a great endorsee!

[Anonymous Coward]

A problem easily rectified.....

Just need to change the copy to "Wear these pants and most people will WISH you had lost weight!"

Yeah, that's some good marketing right there. That'll be $500 please!

[LaeMing]

Underpants gnomes finally worked it out, then!

1) Steal underpants

2) Sell on groupon

3) Proffit!

[bjr]

Trim Jeans Theater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYvz1-ThCHY

[The last doughnut]

Optional title

I for one would welcome a pair of those on my GF's fine arse.

[Loyal Commenter]

What I find more annoying

is the 'jokey' description of the vouchers on Groupon that gives you no idea what you're actually buying, even when you click through and read the small print. To calim that this piffle is even advertising is stretching it.