Microsoft Xbox video marketplace ad banned for being misleading
By Richard Lawler 
posted Feb 12th 2009 3:35PM
posted Feb 12th 2009 3:35PM
[Via Joystiq Xbox & CVG]
posted Feb 12th 2009 3:35PM
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I wish we had something that worked like this in the US.... Commercials be runnin wild with misinformation.
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.
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.
Should have just said Rent movies instead of download, that would have pretty much fixed the problem IMO.
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.
Oh come on now, really. Very unnecessary.
Online disclaimer or not, it doesn't change the fact that the ad fails to clarify sufficient details about the service...
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.
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.
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.
The UK is just hating on the American companies.
It's ok. We understand jealously on this side of the pond too.
Yeah, like Chrysler, GM and a chain of banks!
I think that commercial should be banned just for being plain creepy..
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.
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.
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.
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.
Where is the micro-machine guy when you need him ? LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2egGfd5j_k