Dear LPG, 

I read an article on your pages not so long ago entitled ‘Adverts: the visual and verbal small print. (lesson 1)’, (►►►) and it got me thinking about a sentence that I found in a recent Bupa TV advert, that I saw on the telly.  Before I go any further I want to make it clear that I understand Bupa to be a perfectly reputable company but a couple of their adverts illustrate the point that I am trying to make here. 

I remember Bupa being billed as a better alternative to the NHS.  The name became well known many years ago while I was still working.  Back then it was brand new and I did not even think about being able to afford such a luxury so I accepted that it was for the elite.

Some of their more popular adverts are very inspirational but you have to really be looking or else they will tell you very little about what they actually do and when these messages come on between the programs that we watch on TV they often used to inspire me while leaving me without a clue about what was being advertised.  But when I saw one of their more recent adverts I realised that Bupa is just another health insurance company.  I would not be surprised if I am the only one who did not realise this before.  It was when I heard ‘…and for some conditions you may not even have to see your GP first’ that I questioned just what they do.  The phrase was said as the end bit of another statement and nearly goes without being noticed.

In my ignorance I always assumed that one of the advantages of being with Bupa was that your initial appointment with a GP would be virtually instant because they had their own GP organisation in place, and having heard that sentence I took the time to phone the free phone number offered in the advert to ask a few questions.    I found out that Bupa is one of many private health insurance schemes, any ongoing illness you have is likely not to be covered by any insurance policy you take out with them if you are already ill when you take out cover, and the fast track aspect of their service comes into play if you are unlucky enough to fall ill having become an established customer. 

I know that I must appear a little ignorant to most of the readers of this site, but I just wanted to illustrate that I understand and agree that we do really need to listen and watch out for the small print when we are being impressed by what we see, read and hear.  It truly is the little things that are added in such a way that we might miss them, if we are multitasking when watching them, that really help to clarify things when it comes to advertising.

DE. Rushey Green.

LPG has found the adverts that DE is referring to

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And a little more information about private health schemes in general.

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