COMPLAINT:
Objections to a poster, headlined "40,312 POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS." Beneath the headline was a table that featured eight food items. The text at the foot of the advertisement stated "The new McChoice menu 99p each. McDonalds". The complainants objected that the advertisement was misleading because they believed the stated number of possible combinations of meals was not realistic.
(Ed 10: 3.1; 7.1)
ADJUDICATION: Complaints not upheld
The advertisers said the McChoice menu was made up of eight different items all priced at 99p; it allowed the consumer to "mix and match" those items as they pleased. They said the number 40,312 used in the claim was based on the factorial of eight, which gave all the permutations of the eight items. They said they had subtracted eight from the calculated factorial of 40,320 because they believed single items from the menu should not be included. The advertisers pointed out that some of the items on the McChoice menu were available in more than one flavour; four soft drink varieties, four milkshake flavours and three McFlurry flavours were available. They said this meant a total of sixteen items were available from the McChoice menu, giving 65,535 different combinations. The advertisers said they were not suggesting that customers try to buy every combination of the eight items featured in the advertisement. It nevertheless considered that, because the total McChoice menu allowed over 65,000 combinations, the advertisement was not misleading. The Authority did not object.