The Aberdeen & District Independent has been found guilty of breaching advertising guidelines by unfairly comparing its distribution with the paid-for circulation of its competitors.

Aberdeen Journals, which publishes the Press and Journal and Evening Express, complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about an advert under the headline ‘The Real Story’.

The advert featured four local newspapers in piles of varying height and listed figures from Jicreg data beneath each pile which said: “Press and Journal 36,716″, “Evening Express 53,335″, “Aberdeen Citizen 76,107″ and “Aberdeen & District Independent 80,153″ with smallprint in the top-left corner of the advert reading “Jicreg Data 1/11/2005 (within Aberdeen Independent Distribution area)”.

Aberdeen Journals argued the comparison was unfair because it compared the circulation or distribution figures of free weekly titles with those for paid-for titles, and the ASA agreed.

The ASA said the advert understated the impact of advertising in the paid-for titles and told the Independent to ensure that future comparisons either compared titles with similar distribution patterns or made clear the differences between them.

Aberdeen Journals also claimed the advert was misleading, saying figures quoted for the Independent’s competitors were incorrect and that it did not make clear to what the figures referred, but this was rejected by the ASA.