Microsoft Xbox video marketplace ad banned for being misleading

by Richard Lawler posted Feb 12th 2009 at 3:35PM

Apple isn't the only one to run afoul of the UK's Advertising Standards Authority, now that one of Microsoft's recent ads (embedded after the break) promoting its video rental service has been banned. Challenged because it fails to mention the viewing window (24 hours after pressing play / 14 days after download,) the board agreed, saying users may be influenced to purchase on the basis of being able to download and keep movies, which currently they can't. Microsoft argued that the ad was too short to get into the details of its DRM requirements, but maybe next time they'll hire one of the fast talking individuals from oh-so-many pharmaceutical ads for the last second disclaimer.

[Via Joystiq Xbox & CVG]

Filed under: Industry, Other hardware, Set-top boxes, Others

Tags: advertising standards authority, AdvertisingStandardsAuthority, asa, drm, live your moment, LiveYourMoment, microsoft, online video, OnlineVideo, rental, video marketplace, VideoMarketplace, xblm, xbox, xbox 360, xbox live marketplace, xbox live video marketplace, Xbox360, XboxLiveMarketplace, XboxLiveVideoMarketplace

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highest Ranked

jacob.larson @ Feb 12th 2009 4:00PM

I wish we had something that worked like this in the US.... Commercials be runnin wild with misinformation.

Neutral

Kumar @ Feb 12th 2009 4:44PM

Yeah, we'll see reform right about when campaign commercials are screened first for truthfulness. ;)

I see what they mean with this, considering the usual Netflix deal is keep em till you're finished with them. I imagine that eventually you'll be able to access a movie until you download the next, or one gets bumped of your three if you set to do 3 at a time.

Highly Ranked

AutumnBringer @ Feb 12th 2009 5:10PM

Yeah, they sure do run wild with misinformation. I remember seeing some weird commercials with a young guy and an old nerdy guy and usually just a white background ... man those things were all sorts of misleading.

Highly Ranked

reallynotnick @ Feb 12th 2009 5:20PM

Should have just said Rent movies instead of download, that would have pretty much fixed the problem IMO.

Neutral

IMAPony @ Feb 12th 2009 5:22PM

Actually, when you "rent" a movie from Xbox 360 a menu pops up and displays the disclaimer. I've never been confused by it. Im sure anyone else who is tech savvy enough to stream movies from Xbox LIve would not be confused either...unless you just didn't read it.

Possibly the guy in charge is a PS fanboy.

Neutral

mntwister @ Feb 13th 2009 12:02AM

Oh come on now, really. Very unnecessary.

Neutral

Blewyn @ Feb 14th 2009 12:41AM

Online disclaimer or not, it doesn't change the fact that the ad fails to clarify sufficient details about the service...

Neutral

DrXym @ Feb 13th 2009 4:51AM

Sony has been slapped by the ASA as well. Don't take it so personally. They have a duty to investigate adverts which breach advertising codes such as making misleading claims. You can see their guidelines here and how they might conclude Microsoft violated a) and b)

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/codes/radio_code/Radio+Code+General+Rules+Misleadingness.htm

Microsoft's claiming that the ad was too short to show the information which might be plausible except for the fact they commissioned the ad in the first place and could therefore make it any length.

Neutral

Moses Roberts @ Feb 13th 2009 6:01PM

As you download it, it states that. One might be inclined to buy and then realize it's only a rental. A simple one liner would of been sufice in text stating it's rent. Seriously, don't start that xbox > ps crap.

Neutral

DrXym @ Feb 14th 2009 4:48AM

Moses, the ASA is concerned about the advert, not about what safeguards the service itself has. The advert is misleading even if the service isn't.

Neutral

Ryan C @ Feb 12th 2009 5:35PM

The UK is just hating on the American companies.

It's ok. We understand jealously on this side of the pond too.

Highest Ranked

Gus @ Feb 12th 2009 6:22PM

Yeah, like Chrysler, GM and a chain of banks!

Highest Ranked

john paul @ Feb 12th 2009 6:33PM

I think that commercial should be banned just for being plain creepy..

Highest Ranked

Paul Brown @ Feb 12th 2009 10:34PM

I couldn't agree more. These xbox video marketplace commercials of people with vacant stares, wearing a vaguely blissful expression on their face, that then slowly pan around to reveal the back of their hollowed-out skulls, bother me in ways I can accurately explain. Not since the days of the quiznos tv ads featuring those terrifying, screeching, levitating, living-dead rodent-things, have I seen anything so disturbing. To this day, I am still surprised none of these commercials have filtered their way into some kind of nightmare fuel for my sleeping hours.

Neutral

DeadPlasmaCell @ Feb 12th 2009 10:16PM

I'm not getting how this is misleading, since it doesn't actually imply anything other than you are able to download movies with your Xbox 360 which is the truth.

Neutral

Blewyn @ Feb 20th 2009 3:36AM

Most people will understand 'download a movie' to mean 'download a movie you can then keep forever'. It's a bit like making an ad that says 'car for sale : $10', without revealing that the car is powered by pedals.

Highly Ranked

Shoeboy @ Feb 13th 2009 8:32AM

It should NOT have said:
Download Movies on XBOX 360

It should have said:
Rent Movies on XBOX 360 via download

Long version of my answer:
You got to admit download is generally associated with receiving a digital format of a file, for most people this means to keep.

Having 15 day expiry date due to DRM really means that this is a Rental Service via Download. I agree with the ASA that point should have been cleared communicated.

Neutral

Maxx @ Feb 13th 2009 2:07PM

Where is the micro-machine guy when you need him ? LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2egGfd5j_k

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