back to article Kevin Bacon avoids slapped wrist after TV pipe-fatness claims

EE has received a stern talking to from the Advertising Standards Authority for website claims of "superfast" connectivity, though when Kevin Bacon says the same thing on TV that's OK. The difference is the context: on TV Kevin's words are accompanied by numbers and comparisons to 3G, while the web ad just made the "superfast …

COMMENTS

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  1. Just_this_guy

    Summary: if it's not Bacon, it's porkies.

  2. Graham Triggs

    Superfast

    I'm reading this article through an EE 4G dongle, and I'm getting 35Mb/sec download (and 15Mb/sec up).

    1. Just_this_guy
      Happy

      Re: Superfast

      Like a fule I didn't believe you. But then I ran your post through a Kevin Bacon speech synthesiser, and now I know it to be true.

    2. Velv
      Trollface

      Re: Superfast

      Mmeanwhile your wallet is emptying at a similarly impressive rate

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      Re: Superfast

      Are you driving in circles around the base of a cell-tower?

      1. Danny 14

        Re: Superfast

        At 8gig limit per month that will still take you 2 months tp download a 1080p movie. Whereas my 10mb line will do it in about 5 hours

  3. auburnman

    As a slight aside...

    ...are the Hollywood elite strapped for cash at the minute? I can't turn on the telly without Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Aniston, Bruce Willis or Al Pacino burbling on at me about mobiles or internet.

    1. Neil B
      WTF?

      Re: As a slight aside...

      Yeah those Sky ads are particularly strange...just how much do you have to offer Bruce Willis so that he appears in a broadband advert? At least the Bacon ones have a legitimate dose of self-deprecation and humour about them.

      1. cyborg
        IT Angle

        Re: As a slight aside...

        It's nothing new really. Hollywood actors are more than happy to appear in ads outside of the US. Just look for the Arnie ads he did in Japan for some whacked out craziness.

        Taking the ad dollar domestically definitely gives a negative impression of how well they're doing.

        But it does so here and the movie market is more international nowadays so...

        In conclusion - no idea. Maybe Bruce Willis and Al Pacino owe Rupert Murdoch something?

    2. Anonymous Coward 101

      Re: As a slight aside...

      I believe Mr. Bacon's desire to earn cash may have something to do with Bernie Madoff.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ah useless ASA

    I remember when EE first launched 4G, there was a billboard outside the EE store where I live, and a massive poster explaining how we can get 4g connection NOW. Except we couldn't, we still can't.

    Apparently though they have no say at all over in store advertisement, so I can only assume a fair few less tech savvy folks have gone out, bought a 4g contract and had no way to make use of it.

    But hey ho, that's what you get with a toothless guardian with limited reach.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Ah useless ASA

      Similar, but not advertising as such; when I called T-Mobile to upgrade my phone / renew, they told me that they were rolling out 4G and the Galaxy S3 I wanted would take advantage of it. The 4G Galaxy S3 hadn't been released at that time.

  5. Red Bren
    Facepalm

    it's all topsy turvy in Adland

    So the nebulous ad-word 'superfast' must only be used when connection speed exceeds an arbitrary and changing level. But the strictly defined, dictionary word 'unlimited' can be used to mean the exact opposite!

    1. ecofeco Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      Re: it's all topsy turvy in Adland

      Marketing people are pathological liars.

      Never forget this.

      1. Danny 14

        Re: it's all topsy turvy in Adland

        Seconded only by politicians and car salesmen

  6. lglethal Silver badge
    Joke

    Spaceballs anyone...

    I'm waiting for Ludicrous Speed...

    1. MrT

      And for the advert...

      ...Kevster goes into the spray-tan booth and comes out vaguely plaid.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Kevin Bacon the Chuck Norris of Tech ads?

    New MEME! YAY!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Kevin Bacon the Chuck Norris of Tech ads?

      If Oracle were to employ Kevin he would say: "Oracle, you know paying them a fortune is in your best interest! Like paying me to do this ad..."

      If Apple were to employ Kevin he would say: "Just holding this device means you can experience what it means to be me!"

      If Microsoft were to employ Kevin he would say: "Like me, you too can know the joy to be free of the Start Menu"

      If El Reg were to employ Kevin he would say: "Read The Register and be able to see through through ads like this!"

  8. ToggleMaudlin

    I keep getting him (Bacon) confused with the guy that played the baddie in Terminator 2.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Or Bon Jovi?

    2. wowfood

      I've been sat here for ages thinking "Bacon? I don't remember him doing EE adverts" only to realise I was thinking of Richard Bacon of blue peter infamy. Admitadly he'd probably know a thing or two about 'superfast"

  9. RichieB
    Paris Hilton

    What about...

    Superfast is one thing, Unlimited is another... but what about 'Infinity'? Surely if you are being provided with an 'up to 10mb' connection that is far short of 'infinity'.

  10. Andrew Kelly

    Slightly off-topic

    I can't believe that Sky have been allowed to get away with their "Al Pacino on a piano" advert that implies that to stream music from the internet you need fibre-optic broadband.

    Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack an egg.

    1. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

      Re: Slightly off-topic

      I can't believe that Sky have been allowed to get away with their "Al Pacino on a piano" advert that implies that to stream music from the internet you need fibre-optic broadband.

      To be fair, Sky's adverts also hinge on the fact that they have no limits, so they won't throttle your connection.

      1. Just_this_guy

        Re: Slightly off-topic

        So I could use a Sky connection for teleportation? Limitless bandwidth seems to be de riguer for that... But can you get Sky on the Moon?

  11. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    Kevin Bacon

    Isn't he the one I'm six degrees separated from?

  12. ElNumbre
    Joke

    Espace Balls.

    I think I'm going to wait for 'Ludicrous speed'

  13. Vociferous

    Fast is over 100 Mbit to me, Superfast is 1Gbit or better, and at 1 Tbit we've reached Ludicrous Speed.

  14. Mr Young
    Joke

    "Kevin Bacon avoids slapped wrist"

    So where did this slapped wrist landed exactly? I for one hope it missed my modem!

  15. Zmodem

    super is less then ultra

  16. Steven Roper

    "Superfast" brings back a memory

    As I recall from my dim and heady childhood way back in the 70s, "Superfast" was a line of Matchbox cars (the real solid metal ones - remember those?) of which I had several examples in my toybox. I also had the associated plastic track with the loop-the-loops and the "Superbooster" car-flinger that propelled the Matchbox cars around it. I'm still annoyed to this day that my mother ended up giving it all to the church when I grew up and stopped playing with it. The collection would probably be worth thousands today.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "certainly more than the 8-12Mb/sec EE is actually able to provide"

    You should have to provide a source for that: 55704kbps down & 20814kbps up for me in Glasgow.

    1. Danny 14

      Re: "certainly more than the 8-12Mb/sec EE is actually able to provide"

      Shame you can actually use that speed for anything useful due to pathetic download caps

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