A consumer buys shampoo from a promotional shelf framed in red. A large sign above the shelf reads ‘buy one, get one free’. But at the checkout, the consumer discovers that the offer does not apply to that shampoo. According to the consumer, it is not clear enough that only products with specific red price labels qualify for the promotion. After all, wasn’t the shampoo on the promotional shelf?

Jumbo points to its coordinated system of visual cues: a large promotional sign, red shelf borders and price labels displaying ‘buy one, get one free’ with a red sleeve marked ‘NOW’. According to Jumbo, these cues allow the average consumer to identify which products qualify for the promotion.

The chair of the Dutch Advertising Code Committee disagrees (in Dutch). The red border leads the average consumer to expect that all products on the promotional shelf qualify for the offer. The restriction to products with specific price labels is essential information. Jumbo needs to present that information more clearly. The price labels alone are not enough. The advertisement is therefore misleading because it presents essential information in an unclear manner.

An abundance of visual cues can distract consumers from information that matters to them. Use one clear cue to keep that information from getting lost among all the visual distractions.