It is MTN two, Cell C nil in the latest advertising war between one of the country's mobile giants and third entrant, with the Advertising Standards Authority of SA (ASA) dismissing the latter's complaint against a newspaper advertisement.
Last month, Cell C lodged an ASA complaint against MTN's print ad that appeared on page nine of the Sunday Times, on 16 March, headed "Let's try to put a dent in unemployment". The company said the ad gives the misimpression that MTN's advertised Mobile Money Reseller Project is an employment opportunity, and would result in significant earnings.
Cell C further alleged this impression was intensified by the comeback advertisement MTN published across pages two and three of the same publication. The double-page spread featured a sarcastic response to Cell C's earlier radio ad, which criticised MTN for taking legal action against new mobile termination rates.
The ASA has dismissed Cell C's latest claim that MTN's Mobile Money Reseller Project ad contravened the ASA Code of Advertising relating to three separate issues: honesty (Section II, Clause 2), misleading claims (Section II, Clause 4.2.1), and self-employment opportunities (Section III, Clause 11.2.1.1).
This comes about a month after the authority upheld MTN's complaint against Cell C for a radio ad the latter flighted in February.
The media war of words was sparked by an inter-operator wrangle over the Independent Communications Authority of SA's new mobile termination rate regulations, which largely favour Cell C and its fellow bottom-of-the-pile operator, Telkom Mobile.
The full ASA ruling and opposing arguments can be accessed here.
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