GROUP GIVES OUT ADVERTISING LEMON AWARDS
By Adnews Staff
The U.S. Centre for Science in the Public Interest presented its annual Harlan Page Lemon Awards this week. The centre gives out the awards to those companies which it feels had the most misleading, unfair and irresponsible ad campaigns of the year. The winners included Volvo Cars of North America for what the group says was a misleading road test comparison of the Volvo 850 Sportswagon with a BMW 328i. United Airlines won for print ads offering 40% off domestic fares, but failing to tell consumers the fare was more restrictive. Meccano also won for a toy ad that misled in suggesting children could build a fast-moving fire truck with an Erector Master Builder Set. Seagram won for advertising its Crown Royal brand on TV and Nationwide Insurance won for TV ads implying it covers hurricane damage when the company is cutting sales of policies in storm-prone areas.