Ford Misleads over MP3 Compatibility in New Fiesta
| Published on 24 February 2006 - 9:29am. | Advertising Standards | Motoring |
An advertisement by Ford Motors for the new Fiesta has been found to be misleading customers by suggesting that mp3 connectivity is included across the range.
The ad claimed that "the 2006 Fiesta has an auxiliary in-line connector socket. (That's posh for mp3 compatible). Just plug in your mp3 player ... " when in fact, the socket for mp3 compatibility is an optional extra, not included as standard.
Defending the claim, Ford explained that they were trying to identify the differences between the new 2006 Fiesta and the previous models. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated and concluded that the footnote that stated "Options at extra cost: ... Portable Music Connection Socket ... " was not sufficiently prominent and contradicted the impression given by the headline.
The ASA told Ford to amend the advertisement to avoid implying that mp3 compatibility came as standard.
