Vergelijkende reclame: onderzoek naar attitudes en meningen in Belgische reclamebureaus

Abstract

The use of explicit comparative advertising has been forbidden in Belgium for quite some time. Following a European Directive, the Belgian legislator modified the Law on Trade Practices in May 1999, which makes it legal for advertisers to use, under certain conditions, explicit comparisons. In this article, the concept of ‘comparative advertising’ will be discussed. Its position in the advertising campaign, as well as the use of comparisons in advertisements will be covered. In particular, our attention goes to explicit comparative advertising, as it is this form of comparative advertising that is dealt with in the modified law. Finally, the results of a study into Belgian advertisers’ attitudes and opinions about this kind of advertising are being discussed.