‘Misleading’ Martin Freeman Vodafone advert banned as hobbits don’t have mobile phone contracts

A Vodafone advert starring Martin Freeman has been banned for being misleading after it transpired that hobbits don’t have phone contracts.

The advert appeared to show Freeman in possession of a phone, technology that is well in advance of anything the relatively primitive hobbits of Middle-Earth would possess and also he had, crucially, a mobile phone contract.

“The advert flat-out lied,” said Peter Armitage of the ASA.

“Vodafone simply do not provide mobile phone contracts to hobbits

“We called Vodafone and tried to set up standard 24-month phone contract for a fictional hobbit called Bompkins who lived in Humbleberry Lane, Hobbiton, Middle Earth.

“They turned us down flat, and even threatened to call the police if we kept bothering them.

“Showing a hobbit with a smartphone and contract is just patently misleading and we won’t stand for it.”

Mr Armitage denied that it was the fact that Freeman was able to cancel a phone contract that caused the ban.

“No. I mean, being able to simply cancel a phone contract? That’s clearly fantasy with no bearing in reality.

“No one would have believed that, so that’s fine.”