The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) has left Cell C in no doubt that the accuracy and quality of its adverts must be improved if it does not want the regulator to scrutinise every commercial it publishes.
The warning from ASA comes after MTN had its complaint that a Cell C radio advert deliberately “disparaged” the former’s products upheld.
One specific comment MTN took issue with was when the advert by Cell C referred to the “yellow bellied special of the day of the week bullhockey”.
MTN asked ASA to impose sanctions on Cell C, and while the authority recognised their request by imposing a six month period whereby the latter will have to submit all its adverts to ASA for approval.
This sanction however has been suspended. If Cell C is found guilty of another contravention of ASA’s guidelines during that period then the sanction will be imposed.