View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Daily Mail rapped by ASA over free DVD ad

By Oliver Luft

The Daily Mail has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority for a misleading ad suggesting readers would be given a free DVD with the next day’s paper.

The advertising watchdog banned publisher Associated Newspapers from running the ad in its current form after upholding a complaint from two readers.

The front-page flash ad stated “free with tomorrow’s mail Poirot free DVD”.

The readers told the ASA they believed the ad was misleading as it did not make clear the DVD had to be collected from Tesco or WH Smith rather than being included with the newspaper.

“The front-page flash on the promotional issue of the newspaper stated that the DVD had to be collected from Tesco or WHSmith,” the ASA ruling concluded.

“However, we considered that the front-page flash claim on the previous day’s newspaper…had implied that the DVD would be included with the following day’s newspaper…

“Because the DVD was not available with the following day’s newspaper, as implied by the front-page flash, we concluded that it was misleading.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Associated Newspapers told the ASA that the claim “free with” was justifiable for a front-page flash that appeared the day before a promotional issue of the paper.

The publisher said it believed that the use of the word “with”, as opposed to “inside”, was fair in the circumstances.

The ASA warned the Daily Mail that it needed to ensure future pre-promotional front-page flashes used wording that clearly explained the nature of the offer.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network