Iggy Pop advert banned

Advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned Axa-owned Swiftcover’s Iggy Pop advert as misleading just two days after Swiftcover claimed it had boosted sales by nearly a third.

The ASA said: “Because the policy was promoted by a well-known musician, which might lead some viewers to believe the policy covered those who worked in entertainment, when it did not, and because Iggy Pop did not have a policy with Swiftcover, we concluded the ad was misleading.”

Swiftcover said on Monday (27 April): “Visits to www.swiftcover.com soared and sales increased by more than 31% in the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2008.”

In advance of the ASA’s ruling Swiftcover also agreed to offer cover to musicians.

The ASA’s ruling was prompted by 12 complaints from musicians who were refused cover. The ASA said: “Iggy Pop stated ‘I got it Swiftcovered. I got insurance on my insurance!’ in the ad….However, we noted that Iggy Pop did not have a policy with Swiftcover.”

The ASA ruled that the ad broke five sections of its code under three categories - misleading advertising, evidence and testimonials.