MTN's ads ruled 'off side'

By Christelle du Toit, ITWeb senior journalist

Johannesburg, 12 Sept 2007

Sunday newspaper adverts that created the impression that MTN is a sponsor of Bafana Bafana have to be withdrawn, following an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling on them.

In a decision announced yesterday, the ASA found that advertisements stating that MTN is "turning young men into Bafana Bafana" are misleading and qualifies as "ambush marketing".

The ads were allegedly meant to promote the company's sponsorship for the MTN Cup and its under 16 Cup.

A complaint was lodged with the ASA by Vodacom's advertising agency, FCB. Vodacom is the official sponsor of the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the men's soccer team, known as Bafana Bafana.

The ASA confirmed this and said not only did the wording of the MTN advertisements create the impression of a link between the company and the national soccer team, but this was further enforced by the layout of the ad.

The ASA said in its ruling the words "MTN, proud sponsor of" and the Bafana Bafana pay-off line were much more prominent than the reference to the MTN soccer cups. The ad, as a whole, was therefore "likely to imply a connection between the respondent (MTN) and Bafana Bafana, to which it is not entitled".

The ASA ruled the ad to be in breach of its sponsorship code and ordered its immediate withdrawal.

This morning, MTN's senior manager for PR and internal communications, Ntombi Mhangwani, said: "Our [MTN's] intent was not ambush, but simply to refer to the national squad in the way they are known to all, Bafana Bafana."

She said "as a development programme, [the] MTN Cup aims to grow young players" and to give them the potential to be able to play for Bafana Bafana in the future.

Vodacom was not immediately available for comment.