UK: ASA adjudication on airport train ad

Various posters at Stansted airport included an image of a train, the text “35 MINUTES” or “TRAIN TO LONDON 35 MINUTES” and various images of iconic central London landmarks including Big Ben, the London Eye and Nelson’s Column. Trains stopped at Tottenham Hale in North London in 35 minutes whereas it took 45 minutes to Liverpool Street in central London.The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) held that the simplicity of the message could potentially confuse visitors about where in the city they would get to in 35 minutes. The combination of the text “35 minutes” alongside the images of iconic central London landmarks, implied that travellers would reach central London within that time and that because this was not the case, the ad was likely to mislead.Source: ASA Adjucation of Sep 8, 2010 on National Express Group

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