A “wild” surfer - old lady (picture left) was very innovatively employed by Greek telecom provider OTE to advertise an internet offer (video here) to its customers. Although she is a star, the Greek Communication Review Board had certain objections regarding the ad.

The CRB held that the combination of the phrase “everyone will surf” with the offer - price of “9,90 Euros” is likely to confuse consumers and create the false impression that the 9,90 Euros offer is addressed to all consumers, while in fact, this price is exclusively offered to consumers who are already customers of OTE. This crucial information – condition for eligibility is not delivered in a direct and clear way, said the CRB, while use of the claim “everyone”, largely contributes to the above mentioned erroneous impression.

Moreover, the CRB held that the ad does not communicate the offer’s expiry date, a vital piece of information which affects consumer choice. In view of the above, the CRB asked OTE to modify the ad accordingly.

The ad also had a radio version, which, according to the CRB, failed to communicate key elements of the offer to consumers. In this instance too, OTE was asked to modify the radio ad. The decision (in Greek) can be found here.

As far as the price per se is concerned, the CRB concluded that, as long as it is clearly communicated that the offer is addre4ssed to OTE’s existing customers (that is people who are already paying for certain of OTE’s telecom services), the communication of the price is accurate and no confusion is possible. Thanks go to Paris Tzoumas for the useful tip.