Dodgy advert on page 75 of the November issue?

[admin_exported]

Page 75 features a very dodgy advertising feature.

In my opinion, it is clearly designed to mislead the reader into reading it as impartial magazine editorial.

Only the lack of a banner drew my suspicion that it may be an ad. It took me a few moments to spot "Advertising feature" written at the top in a very pale grey, half obscured by the centre-fold.

This is clearly designed to be misinterpretted. It's very underhand. I know that I won't be buying products from this company if it is within their business ethic to con their customers.

I am also disappointed in the magazine for publishing this advert in this way.

Are there any other views on this?

 

[Wightknight]

Are you serious?

1. There is no "star rating" so it is clearly not a review

2. There is no "For, Against, Verdict" panel so it is clearly not a review

3. The formatting is very different from the magazine review format

4. It doesn't have the WHFSV bar across the top of the page

I saw it as an advert immediately.

You might like to read Andrew's blogs on the Brennan as he really likes it. It looks like a reasonably good product, so please don't dismiss it out of hand.

The only thing I don't like about it is there is no connection to an online database, so if you buy a newly released CD, it won't recognise it and you will have to input the track titles etc manually.

 

[Clare Newsome]

As has been stated many times, we don't get to see advertisements before they go in the magazine. I have asked our commercial team that if the Brennan ad runs again, it is more clearly flagged as advertising, as I wouldn't want anyone to be misled (not that i'd hope we'd design a page looking like that

)

 

[John Duncan]

Clare Newsome:(not that i'd hope we'd design a page looking like that

)

One with a Hifi Choice Best Buy logo on it you mean?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Don't get me started...

 

[Anonymous]

I think use of a darker font on "ADVERTISING FEATURE" would be sufficient.

And yes Clare, it is an ugly page!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Wightknight:1. There is no "star rating" so it is clearly not a review

It's not in the reviews section either - so I wouldn't have expected that.

Wightknight:2. There is no "For, Against, Verdict" panel so it is clearly not a review

As #1

Wightknight:3. The formatting is very different from the magazine review format

4. It doesn't have the WHFSV bar across the top of the page

I saw it as an advert immediately.

Yes. Those gave it away. Not having the page format of the mag hard-wired into my brain I didn't spot that immediately.

Do you think all readers do?

The faintest "ADVERTISING FEATURE" heading didn't grab you immediately then?

Do you not agree that it's somewhat disguised as a non-advert then?

Wightknight:You might like to read Andrew's blogs on the Brennan as he really likes it. It looks like a reasonably good product, so please don't dismiss it out of hand.

The only thing I don't like about it is there is no connection to an online database, so if you buy a newly released CD, it won't recognise it and you will have to input the track titles etc manually.

Really - well maybe if I were in the market for one of these I might find out more. But I certainly have issues with their cheap and shabby marketing strategy!