Ryanair's “Jab & Go” Advert has been ruled misleading and banned by the ASA following 2500 complaints - one of the most complained about ads last year.
The Advertising Standards Agency investigated the ad shown at Christmas time, which suggested people booked flights for Easter and Summer 2021, with the headline “Jab and Go” and a voiceover saying “Vaccines are coming”.
The watchdog held that the ad was misleading.
“based on the information available at the time it was clear that it was highly unlikely that societal groups outside of phase one of the rollout would be maximally protected in time to holiday in either summer or Easter 2021. …we understood that any travel restrictions (either on leaving the UK or entering other countries) and other restrictions such as social distancing and mask-wearing were likely to remain the same for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals in at least the short- to medium-term.”
Ryanair say the ruling effectively bans travel ads for Easter and Summer this year and maybe further afield too. It says it was factual and accurate, and that Boris Johnson himself had said that with the vaccine rollout we could look forward to a freer Easter.
Who’s right?
Ryanair encouraging flight booking that seems unlikely? Or is this to heavy handed from the ASA?
Written by Steven Mather, a business solicitor acting on company sales and purchases. This is general information about the law, not legal advice on your situation.
