Camera Phone Advert Criticized for Exaggerating Picture Quality

Sharp has had a compliant about adverts for its camera phones in the UK upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority, the self-regulator for the UK's advertising industry. A complaint was lodged with the ASA following adverts for Sharp handsets that had exaggerated the picture quality of the photos taken by the camera phone. The press adverts had used simulated photos in the advertisement.

Sharp has replied to the compliant, stating that the advertisement used a simulated picture, which was produced using a photograph of the woman superimposed onto the picture of the product. They asserted that that was common practice for advertising image-producing equipment. The advertisers pointed out that the advertisement stated the resolution of both the camera and their display screen.

They argued that, because most customers knew that simulated pictures were widely used, the resolution of the product was stated and, because customers would see the product before buying it, consumers were unlikely to be misled. The advertisers stated that the campaign was finished and that they were willing to state that the picture was simulated in future advertisements. The advertisers gave the Authority a product demonstration and showed examples of pictures that could be taken and transmitted with the phone.

The ASA says that it considered that the advertisers had not demonstrated that their phone could achieve the picture quality featured in the advertisement. It welcomed their assurance that they would state in future advertisements that the picture on the telephone was simulated.

Doubtless, all other UK adverts for camera phones will be modified in future, as adverts for 3's video phones are already starting to show more realistic versions of the quality of video calling that can be expected on their 3G phones."

Posted to the site on 21st July 2003