When this “I’m a PC” ad cropped up this Spring, showing five-year-old Lewis transferring photos to send to his auntie (and correcting their exposure) before concluding “Photo sharing – Piece of cake”, did you think “Windows isn’t that hassle-free?”
At least one person did, complaining to the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) that “there were more complex steps involved in the process than those that were shown in the ad and that a five-year-old would not be able to use the software without technical assistance”.
But the ASA has ruled the ad “unlikely to mislead” because “the significant procedures required in order to import, auto adjust and send a basic photograph by e-mail were all detailed in the ad”.
Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) had given the ASA a step-by-step slideshow illustrating the steps. It said, despite being taught them by an adult, Lewis really did email the rabbit himself. Ad approval body Clearcast declared itself “satisfied that the evidence supplied by Microsoft demonstrated that children would be able to use the software shown in the ad”.