ASA rules against Cell C in Vodacom red case
Vodacom unveiled its new red branding on 1 April, giving the company a distinct Vodafone look and feel.
Cell C was quick to react, and launched an extensive television, print, online and radio advertising campaign poking fun at Vodacom’s new branding.
Trevor Noah is a key figure in the new Cell C ad campaign, and in many of the advertisements he argues that it takes more than a change in colour to be South Africa’s top mobile network.
“The engine that drives Cell C is its leading and completely new HSPA+ 900 MHz network – voted best in the country. ‘Cause it takes more than a lick of paint to be SA’s number 1 network … don’t you think,” said Noah in one television advertisement.
Vodacom was not amused, and lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA), arguing that Cell C is making unsubstantiated and misleading claims.
Vodacom argues that Cell C has no reason to claim that they are the leading cellular network in South Africa, and further says that Cell C cannot currently claim to have superior broadband speeds.
Vodacom requested that the ASA make an urgent ruling on this complaint, and the advertising authority today ruled in favour of Vodacom.
The ASA ruled that Cell C’s print, television and radio commercials contain unsubstantiated claims, and that the Cell C television commercial “disparages Vodacom’s current advertising campaign.”
Cell C has been ordered to withdraw its television, radio and print commercials with immediate effect. The ASA is also considering sanctions against Cell C after Vodacom highlighted that there are currently six adverse rulings against Cell C in the last 12 months.
“Given this, and given the above findings, the ASA will consider whether the respondent’s behaviour indicates a pattern of deliberate and/or flagrant offence, which may warrant imposing sanctions on the respondent, and if so, which sanctions should be imposed,” the ASA stated.
Possible further legal action
The dispute may go to court after Cell C’s advertising agency DDB SA and its employee Grant Jacobsen, received lawyers letters this week from Vodacom’s advertising firm, Draftfcb, warning that it was considering legal action.
Jacobsen, a senior member of the team who worked on Vodacom’s “red” campaign launched on April 1, left Draftfcb for DDB SA in December.
At the time, DDB SA did not have the Cell C account. Cell C launched its campaign on April 2.
Both Jacobsen and DDB SA have denied a breach of confidentiality and said information about the relaunch had been leaked to the market, especially with the change of the Ponte City Vodacom sign in Johannesburg.
Cell C ‘anti-red’ ad campaign << What do you think of the campaign?
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