G5 "fastest computer" ad banned in UK; deemed false advertising
From this news source, via this Macrumors story.
Here's the official government complaint report.
I say good. Obviously it's not as simple as "fastest, most powerful" or not. It depends on so many factors, that it's really inappropriate to make that claim using that language. You shouldn't be allowed to make a statement like that in your ads unless it is very clearly substantiated.
Quote:
Computer giant Apple has been banned by advertising watchdogs from claiming its latest product is ?the world?s fastest, most powerful personal computer?.
The claim was made in a television advert for the Apple PowerMac G5.
But the Independent Television Commission branded the advert ?misleading? and banned it from being broadcast.
Eight viewers contacted the ITC to complain that the claim was based on the results of limited tests in which the specification of the computers used was configured to give Apple the best results.
Apple said the tests, carried out by an independent third party, were ?fair and even?.
But the ITC found that the claim was not supported by independent reviews and that, at best, the G5 was only ?generally as fast? as its competitors.
In its advertising complaints report, it ruled: ?The ITC considered that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim ?world?s fastest, most powerful personal computer?.
?Furthermore, it shared one viewer?s doubt that the claim could be substantiated at all because, as evidence for and against the claim had shown, computers were constantly being updated and had many different applications and benchmarks.?
It concluded that ?the advertising was misleading and ... should not be re-shown in its current form?.
Computer giant Apple has been banned by advertising watchdogs from claiming its latest product is ?the world?s fastest, most powerful personal computer?.
The claim was made in a television advert for the Apple PowerMac G5.
But the Independent Television Commission branded the advert ?misleading? and banned it from being broadcast.
Eight viewers contacted the ITC to complain that the claim was based on the results of limited tests in which the specification of the computers used was configured to give Apple the best results.
Apple said the tests, carried out by an independent third party, were ?fair and even?.
But the ITC found that the claim was not supported by independent reviews and that, at best, the G5 was only ?generally as fast? as its competitors.
In its advertising complaints report, it ruled: ?The ITC considered that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim ?world?s fastest, most powerful personal computer?.
?Furthermore, it shared one viewer?s doubt that the claim could be substantiated at all because, as evidence for and against the claim had shown, computers were constantly being updated and had many different applications and benchmarks.?
It concluded that ?the advertising was misleading and ... should not be re-shown in its current form?.
Here's the official government complaint report.
I say good. Obviously it's not as simple as "fastest, most powerful" or not. It depends on so many factors, that it's really inappropriate to make that claim using that language. You shouldn't be allowed to make a statement like that in your ads unless it is very clearly substantiated.
Comments
I don't think it's our responsibility to pander to the lowest common denominator of gullibility. At some point, you're stupid and it's just your problem.
Originally posted by BuonRotto
I don't think it's our responsibility to pander to the lowest common denominator of gullibility. At some point, you're stupid and it's just your problem.
Is simply being truthful really the lowest common denominator?
So my response on this? Not mad, not all that excited - just an "oh well".
Originally posted by BuonRotto
Europeans are so touchy about their advertising. Aren't there laws in other countries that prohibit direct comparisons of brands or something? To me, it sounds like the ridiculous Pizza Hut suit in the US against Papa John's Pizza. Papa John's uses the motto, "Better Ingredients, Better Pizza." Pizza Hut managed an injunction (but didn't win the ifnal case thankfully) against Papa John's from using the phrase.
I don't think it's our responsibility to pander to the lowest common denominator of gullibility. At some point, you're stupid and it's just your problem.
That is extremely cynical and a big part of the problem with advertising. At some point, companies have to be held responsible for telling the truth. Certainly, we in America have not completely abandoned the concept. False advertising should be in the same category as extortion because it is gaining money under false pretenses. At the very least, it is bait and switch. When a company offers one thing in their ads and produces another, that is just plain wrong and it should be actionable. It is one thing to say that you believe your beer tastes better than brand X. It is another thing to say that your beer has fewer calories than brand X. In the first statement, you are clearly stating your opinion. In the second case, you are stating a fact upon which you hope people will make a purchasing decision. That fact had better be true.
I have always said that Apple should quit playing the game of benchmarks and comparisons. If you live by the benchmark, you die by the benchmark. Apple needs to start talking more about what people can do with the Mac, and less about how fast they can do it. Apple can say that at such and such a time, the PM G5 Dual 2 Gig with x amount of ram, etc, is the fastest personal computer for running certain PS filters under certain conditions. Unfortunately, this does not make very good ad copy. To make a general statement that their product is the fastest personal computer would require specific evidence that does not exist. It is a thoroughly stupid claim that is totally unnecessary for Apple to make. They could say something to the affect: "We think you'll agree that, by far, the G5 is the fastest personal computer you have ever used." A statement like this would probably be OK in any country. Why set yourself up for rebuttal claims and lawsuits unnecessarily? Those ads should be pulled and once again, Apple's marketing proves to be its weakness. How many times will they take perfectly good, even great products and ruin them with unforgivably bad marketing? Will these people ever learn?
]I don't think it's our responsibility to pander to the lowest common denominator of gullibility. At some point, you're stupid and it's just your problem.
Originally posted by Placebo
The G5 is actually kinda slow now.
I guess there's no pleasin' some, but I think it's fast enough.
Originally posted by satchmo
I guess there's no pleasin' some, but I think it's fast enough.
It's not a question of whether or not it is fast enough. It is question of whether or not it is the fastest in the world. Apple should never have made the claim.
Originally posted by BuonRotto
Europeans are so touchy about their advertising. Aren't there laws in other countries that prohibit direct comparisons of brands or something? To me, it sounds like the ridiculous Pizza Hut suit in the US against Papa John's Pizza. Papa John's uses the motto, "Better Ingredients, Better Pizza." Pizza Hut managed an injunction (but didn't win the ifnal case thankfully) against Papa John's from using the phrase.
I don't think it's our responsibility to pander to the lowest common denominator of gullibility. At some point, you're stupid and it's just your problem.
1) Britain is not europe
2) if we didnt have an independent trading standards we'd all be buying our food, houses, cars, clothes etc from one big company becausse their adverts said there the only company that sells that stuff.
And 3) britain is a democratic sociecty and believes in fairness for all.
MS advertises its .net ads a lot lately claiming it will make your company easier to run....wheres that ITC phone number
Originally posted by cybermonkey
1) Britain is not europe
Ugh!?
It's not because your leader aspires schlong-licker-dom for the US president that you do not belong to the EU, and are as bound by its unanimous decisions as the next EU member. You are MORE European than many European countries.
airflow
cumulative rotational velocity
bus speed
so if they want to split hairs, there are metrics where it is clearly the fastest
Originally posted by Mac Voyer
It's not a question of whether or not it is fast enough. It is question of whether or not it is the fastest in the world. Apple should never have made the claim.
I never spoke about Apple's claim...but simply responding to the poster's claim that the G5 was slow...which it isn't.
Originally posted by BRussell
Oh yeah, I forgot, Britain is a US colony now. So it's really part of North America, not Europe.
In yer dreams!!
Der kopf,
Why oh why should we join the EU when the ? is a lot weaker that the £?
As for following pres bush well at least we have the balls to fight and upseat a dictator with our fellow allies. As for your belgium laws m8 you can shove them right up yer kyber, i mean you try to stop us selling in pounds and ounces just because you frenchies (and yes we all know belgium is really france) cant do yer maths.
Originally posted by cybermonkey
In yer dreams!!
Der kopf,
Why oh why should we join the EU when the ? is a lot weaker that the £?
As for following pres bush well at least we have the balls to fight and upseat a dictator with our fellow allies. As for your belgium laws m8 you can shove them right up yer kyber, i mean you try to stop us selling in pounds and ounces just because you frenchies (and yes we all know belgium is really france) cant do yer maths.
1) UK is already belonging to EU
2) Belgium is not french, if you want proof read books from Agatha Christies : Hercule Poirot always claimed that he was not a frenchman but a belgium.
3) is this thread continue, someone will have to move it to AO
Originally posted by Powerdoc
1) UK is already belonging to EU
2) Belgium is not french, if you want proof read books from Agatha Christies : Hercule Poirot always claimed that he was not a frenchman but a belgium.
3) is this thread continue, someone will have to move it to AO
On a geographical slant then yeah, but as a STATE!!!!!! Outside right now!!!
Originally posted by satchmo
I never spoke about Apple's claim...but simply responding to the poster's claim that the G5 was slow...which it isn't.
Actually, I took another look at the speed tests (the ones in the latest Macworld) again, with great scrutiny.
And the G5 really is neck to neck with the PC. I mean, the Polystation beat it, but that's a server-class, $4000 workstation we're talking about.
I take that back. The G5 is fast, but I didn't look at the benchmarks closely enough to see that while the PC won on most tests, it was by very small margins indeed.
Originally posted by cybermonkey
1) Britain is not europe
2) if we didnt have an independent trading standards we'd all be buying our food, houses, cars, clothes etc from one big company becausse their adverts said there the only company that sells that stuff.
And 3) britain is a democratic sociecty and believes in fairness for all.
MS advertises its .net ads a lot lately claiming it will make your company easier to run....wheres that ITC phone number
Granted I'd rather live in Britain than anywhere else in Western Europe, Britain is, indeed, part of Europe.
Secondly, by this logic all of those dumb BMW ads should be banned. "The Ultimate Driving Machine." Oh yeah? Sounds like I can prove wrong. There are cars that accelerate harder, turn sharper, and break faster than BMW's.
But seriously, who cares. . .
Originally posted by Placebo
Actually, I took another look at the speed tests (the ones in the latest Macworld) again, with great scrutiny.
And the G5 really is neck to neck with the PC. I mean, the Polystation beat it, but that's a server-class, $4000 workstation we're talking about.
I take that back. The G5 is fast, but I didn't look at the benchmarks closely enough to see that while the PC won on most tests, it was by very small margins indeed.
Just you wait. the guys at Va Tech are starting to uncork the G5, and it seems as though it's manhandling similar-sized clusters of Xeons.
64bit programs + compiler that doesn't bite ass = huge performance gains.