A CLEANING company and its managing director are suing Vodafone and an advertising company alleging they were defamed by a newspaper advertisement.
Bernard McCauley and his firm, Grosvenor Cleaning Services Ltd, claim the advert depicted them as being dishonest and inefficient.
They have brought High Court proceedings against Vodafone Ireland Ltd and advertising firms DDFHB Ltd and DDFHB Communications Ltd.
The case arises from an ad for Vodafone produced by DDFHB and published on March 14th, 2005. It carried the tag line “Is your business spending more than it needs to?” and featured a photograph of five women cleaning a small office, each dressed in Grosvenor’s wine-coloured uniform.
Mr McCauley claims he and his firm’s reputations and business have been badly damaged by the ad. Vodafone denies the claims.
Outlining the case before Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne and a jury yesterday, Jim O’Callaghan SC, for Mr McCauley and Grosvenor, said his clients complained to Vodafone and DDFHB after the ad was published. Solicitors for both companies replied that the tunics had been provided by an independent props company.
Both companies agreed to apologise, said they had not intended to refer to the cleaning firm and agreed not to use the image again.
Mr McCauley later issued proceedings alleging the companies “falsely and maliciously” caused the ad to be published and that the ad had damaged his business.
It was made at Ardmore Studios at a time when his firm was providing cleaning services there, he said. He claimed uniforms left on site were used without permission.
Cross-examined by Paul O’Higgins SC, for the defendants, he agreed turnover had risen in the year after the ad was published.
The case continues today.