In this week's Media Week there is a double page spread of advertising that has been placed by ThisIsLondon exposing The London Paper (one of the many free daily papers handed out at tube and train stations) as being "the free paper they can't even give away". The spread is designed like a photo-story and contains pictures of the London Paper's distributors dumping stacks of papers rather than handing them out.
Interestingly the ThisIsLondon website is owned by Associated Newspapers which owns, yes you've guessed it, Metro and London Lite - two other free daily newspapers! Obviously the London dailies are fighting for ad revenues but an exposé such as this one leaves rather a bad taste in the mouth. To take out a big advert in one of the media industry's trade magazines to accuse your biggest competitors of imcompetence at best and fraud at worst is a bad move on Associated's part.
If they really did think such bad practice was going on why did they not just pitch the story to the editor of Media Week and get an independent investigation? I think they know full well that ALL of London's daily newspapers, including their own, are dumped at some time or another by rogue distributors.
With this low and distasteful advertisement Associated have scored an own goal as they have most probably reinforced the cynicism that everyone has about the value of ALL the free London dailies as campaign vehicles.
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