Two companies’ promotional fliers that were designed to look like parking tickets have been banned by the advertising watchdog.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had upheld complaints made about leaflets from the indoor golf venue Golf Fang Liverpool, and Parc, a car parking app.
ASA ruled the adverts, which were all wrapped in yellow and black plastic and placed on windscreens in Liverpool and Manchester, risked causing “unjustifiable distress”.
Golf Fang subsequently said it would not re-run what it described as “a short promotional campaign”. Parc apologised and said it would make sure future campaigns were “obviously identifiable” as adverts from the outset
ASA said the Golf Fang leaflet was first seen in April and featured the words “PENALTY CHARGE NOTICED ENCLOSED”, and “WARNING, it is an offence for any person other than the driver to remove this notice”.
But inside the flier was an assurance that the driver had not been fined, and instead listed a link to the company’s website.