Government to restrict the use of the asterisk in advertising
The new look asterisk will replace all longer, confusing clauses
Government to restrict the use of the asterisk in advertising
The advertising industry is facing widespread upheaval after the government announced plans to force advertisers to use the asterisk more honestly when placing it after headlines and taglines in advertising.
‘*Mostly Bullshit’ will now accompany all advertising copy where an outlandish claim is being used to promote a product or service. Previously, the asterisk was the best friend to sharp-suited, latte-drinking ad execs, who willfully abused it to obscure the myriad of weasel-worded clauses and caveats their adverts contained. But recently announced government plans will see these banned, to be replaced by the much simpler text ‘*Mostly Bullshit’. The text will also have to be at least fifty percent larger than previously published, to give the buying public a clearer indication of when they’re being ripped off.
Nigel Smyth of the Advertising Standards Authority said;
“the new rules governing the use of the asterisk will bring transparency to consumers. ‘Mostly Bullshit’ will mean that banks, pizza delivery firms, and double-glazing companies can no longer fool us with small-print clauses that make us poorer, and whiskey-swilling philandering chauvinist ad-men richer”.
Don Sterling, campaign and marketing manager from Hoxton-based advertising agency Lowe, Ingersoll, and Evans, said the new rules would punish the industry.
“The asterisk is a much-loved institution of the marketing world. Without it, how are we meant to sell over-priced, bad quality sofas with exorbitant interest rates with big banner adverts accompanied by minuscule text hiding the reality of the piss-poor deals being offered? Lies need to be expertly hidden in plain sight, not made clear to the consumer.”
Industry analysts suggest this will lead to the complete extinction of toothpaste, bleach, and car finance adverts.
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