Tell the truth: how many times scrolling through Facebook have you come across mobile game ads fiercely attacked by dissatisfied users because they found themselves downloading them products totally different from those represented in the advertisements? Well, malpractice seems to be widespread, and in the UK the authorities are starting to take action.
The BBC indeed reports that the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority), the agency that deals with fraudulent promotions, has banned the ads of Homescapes and Gardenscapes, two mobile games from Playrix. The motivation is simple: the gameplay shown in the ads of the two games did not correspond or only partially corresponded to the gaming experience that you would find yourself in front of once you installed the titles on your smartphone.
Notably, the ads hit showed the two games as based on having to solve a puzzle consisting of set of pins to be pulled in the right order to clear the way for the player's "alter-ego".
It should also be specified that all these products contained in-app purchases, and had various ads inside them Advertising.
Playrix defended itself by insisting that those gameplay they were actually included in some levels of the games, but the ASA pointed out that the company had passed them off as examples of the gameplay generale of the two titles, and not as exceptions.
Hence, the accusation of being misleading.
According to statements from the ASA and comments from various mobile industry analysts interviewed by the BBC, the practice of fraudulent advertising is said to be on the increase and the case of Homescapes and Gardenscapes is certainly not isolatedIndeed, the examples are increasing day by day.
That these squeezes on certain dishonest marketing strategies will soon arrive in Europe too?
Maybe it would be good, especially for consumers lured by a well built but in fact misleading ADS.
