Supermarket

The advertisement commenced with an elderly couple sitting in their armchairs in their sitting room, watching TV. A female voiceover stated:

“At Tesco, if you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you”.

A Tesco delivery man opened the door to the living room, entered and greeted the couple. The couple expressing no surprise at someone entering their home, acknowledged his entrance with the woman saying ‘Michael’ and the man raising his hand in greeting. As the couple discuss the programme they were watching, Michael, the delivery man, goes into the kitchen and is seen putting the shopping into the fridge. On the way out Michael talks to the couple about the programme being watched. The following on-screen text appeared:

“Delivery Terms and Conditions are available in-store or online at Tesco.ie
Delivery Mon-Sat 3pm-7pm subject to availability. Min. €50 spend per order”

The couple said goodbye to the delivery man and both called him by his christian name ‘Michael’. Michael, when leaving said “see you next week”.

The female voiceover delivered the final message as follows:

“Shop online, or just call us. Tesco – Every little helps”.

The complainant said the advertisement was misleading because when Tesco delivered shopping they did not put the shopping in the fridge for their customers.

The advertisers said they set themselves the highest standards and were concerned to hear of the complaint. They said that the terms and conditions attached to their delivery service informed customers that at their request Tesco drivers may carry their order into the delivery address, for example to a particular floor in an apartment block or into their kitchen. They said that this would only happen, however, once the driver was satisfied that they had the appropriate permission and that it was safe and practical to do so. They also stated that, while placing shopping in customers’ refrigerators did not happen in all circumstances, if particular situations arose that required their drivers’ to provide such a service the majority of them would put the customer first (as per their training guidelines) and help where necessary.

The advertisers pointed out that the majority of customers asked that their delivery be brought inside, mainly into the kitchen area, and it was not a common request for drivers to be asked to put shopping away in the fridge. They said however that if an elderly person required help or a customer with an injury that in such circumstances their drivers’ were normally happy to assist. They provided driver survey results as substantiation for this claim.

Complaint not upheld.

The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response. They noted the familiarity portrayed between the delivery man and the couple, including their lack of surprise at his entrance unannounced into their living room. They also noted that the couple depicted were part of the demographic that extra assistance may be provided to if required. The Committee further noted that most customers did not request nor desire assistance in putting their shopping into the fridge.

The Committee considered that the advertisement dramatized the potential of the service. Clarity, by way of a super in relation to the circumstances in which additional help was provided, would be useful. Nevertheless the Committee did not consider that the advertisement was likely to mislead.

ACTION REQUIRED:
As the advertisers have agreed to add the super outlined by the Complaints Committee no further action is required in the matter.