Photo: Susannah Parsons

Sneaky advertising, favorable reporters and native advertising: RTL knows all the tricks of the advertising business

Every day, incidents occur on the most visited site in Luxembourg, that of rtl.lu, which should cause quite a stir. One cannot be sure whether what one is reading is now already paid advertising or still journalistic content. The Press Code is unambiguous when it comes to instructions on how to separate journalistic content from advertising. Clear identification should prevent any kind of confusion. This is what the text says:

Art. 11 Commercial and financial information a) Advertising must be presented in such a way that the public cannot confuse it with editorial content. Advertisements and commercials that risk being misinterpreted by a moderately attentive and informed public as journalistic information must be clearly identified in order to avoid any confusion.

RTL1 took a randomly selected moment as an example and is now analyzing all the content here, as it was shown on rtl.lu on December 20, 2023 at 10:30 p.m. RTL.lu is, of course, a site that is co-financed by the state, works for staff who partly have press cards from the Press Council and is in direct competition with other press sites (which are too stupid to sue RTL).

Marked and hidden advertisements, what was found?

1 - ACL: Live from the traffic studio

An ACL logo is displayed next to the traffic information. But what does this mean, what is the business relationship between RTL.lu and ACL? The logo remains uncommented here, unlike other partnerships that RTL shows in this example.

2 - Article: „Bigger selection and lower prices? The E.Leclerc cooperative is coming to Luxembourg“

This is a report that is probably not paid advertising. However, the content of the article does nothing more than provide a company with a platform for advertising. The head of the multinational chain is allowed to say sentences like „Nous sommes pas des casseurs de marchés, nous sommes pas des discounters“ without context, without ordering and without counter-argument - thereby making RTL an advertising platform for E.Leclerc. The TV report that can be found in the article is also a kind of homage to the head of the supermarket chain. This content plays in the gray area between hidden advertising and bad journalism. Link The online magazine Paperjam, for example, also reports on the same news - however, with a distance and by arranging the information. First sentence in Paperjam about Leclerc’s visit: „Operation seduction. Started in the aisles of the Cora hypermarket in City Concorde, Michel-Édouard Leclerc’s very first „official“ visit to Luxembourg resembled a long marathon of smiles and handshakes, this Wednesday, December 20.“ Link Obviously, the „Operation seduction“ worked at RTL.

3 - Article: „For 2023, Raiffeisen Bank draws a positive balance“

Another „reportage“ that basically just offers a specific company a platform to stage itself. Here too, the ”reportage’ works according to the pattern: A large corporation is the protagonist, there are no counter-arguments to the protagonist, there are no inquiries, no critical review. There are no journalistic claims and as a result RTL becomes a (state-subsidized) service platform for Raiffeisen Bank.

4 - „RTL Live Arena - with PostTV on channel 93“

„PostTV“ can be recognized as a partner in this case, the logo is placed in the context of a partnership by the word „with“.

5 - TotalEnergies logo

The omission of the TotalEnergies logo occurs without comment, and it is also not clear whether this logo belongs to the „RTL Live Arena“ window.

6 - Sponsored content by the army

Presented as an article, but marked as „sponsored content“ in the tagline: RTL also relies on a practice that has been adopted by a number of online newspapers: advertising is presented in article form, so anyone who does not see the tagline might think they are looking at a regular article. Link A court would have to determine whether this is legally prohibited surreptitious advertising. However, it is clear that RTL is trying to trick its audience and sell them an advertisement as an article.

7 - Advertising in its own right: „10 years of Anne’s Kitchen“

RTL is particularly keen to present its own content as news and fill its website with it. Anyone who doesn’t know „Anne’s Kitchen“ as an RTL format will not know in this article that it is an advertisement for its own production - RTL is not explicitly mentioned, but only „on TV“.

8 - Portraits of business leaders: Interview at the Interview

„An interview at the Interview – short and concise, with heads of large companies“ - this is how RTL advertises this series. It is another piece of content that looks like journalism and, on the other hand, can only shake its head about the naming of brands and the platform that RTL offers influential business leaders. The series was not produced directly by RTL itself, but was outsourced to the „Crossfire Agency“, an agency that Ben Andrews, also a presenter of RTL Today, set up. One can ask questions about the exact deals between RTL, the Crossfire Agency and the respective business leaders. Is it simply free advertising? Is it about setting up business relationships? The Grosbusch company shares the video, for example, on LinkedIn with the description: „Your favorite fruit, dish or series? Find out more about our CEO Goy Grosbusch! Thank you RTL Luxembourg“. And the CEO himself also says thank you, he shares the Grosbusch post with the message „Thank you very much, Ben Andrews, for making such a fantastic short series, and RTL for inviting me to be part of this exciting project. I look forward to future collaborations.“

9 - Action „Where it hurts“

„Win the new book of the series“ is the title of an article under the „Highlights“ section – which is presented just like any other article on the RTL.lu website. The article is neither specifically marked nor are the companies behind this „action“ named. This is a book about the series „Where it hurts“, which RTL produces for the private clinics Hopitaux Robert Schuman and the company Service Santé S.A. The series is marked as a paid partnership, but this article is not.

10 - December 2023: The Rommel Bommel

This next article also looks like any other article on the rtl.lu website, it is not specifically marked as an advertisement. The article itself can be found in the „Culture“ section, where it is classified in the „Book of the Month“ series. Unlike many other articles on RTL.lu, an author/journalist(?) of the article is named, Nico Thielen. However, what Nico Thielen’s journalistic achievements are remains unclear, in a radio broadcast Paul Ernster, financial director of the Ernster bookstore, and a certain „Vanessa“, whose function is not mentioned, speak one after the other. The article is a transcript of their statements. It is also not about the actual „Book of the Month“, but about other books that can be purchased at the Ernster bookstore. The article concludes with the sentence „Discover all the titles of the Ernster edition or order the book of the month 2023“ - in a series of links that lead directly to Ernster’s shop. The logo of the bookstore can also be found in the illustration image of the article. Nico Thielen, the author of the article, is not a journalist for RTL, but a „copywriter“ for IP Productions, an advertising agency of CLT-UFA (the group behind RTL). This article shows that IP itself has access to the site rtl.lu.

11 - Hidden advertising for gas stations: „The RTL Advent calendar is here“

A radio competition, offered by Petrols-Center, is also presented here as a normal article under the „Highlights“ section without being marked as an advertisement.

12 - A Cactus advertisement

Less hidden but not particularly marked as an advertisement: This article is titled „The Cactus Gourmet Market“ and the tagline of the article is „Happy Holidays“ and the slogan that Cactus has given itself for its campaign. The article, which cites „RTL“ as the author, states: „In conversation with the Cactus experts, we will introduce you to all kinds of delicacies and give you great ideas for your holiday menu! And in every report, you can win a gift card worth €200 with the correct answer to a question from Gourmet Magazine! The Cactus Gourmet Market – in every Cactus, in the Belle Etoile, and here on RTL!“ Embedded in the article are a number of these „reports“, as they are broadcast on RTL radio. The moderator is Camille Ney, who works for the advertising company IP. The term „report“ here is clearly an attempt at deception, a suggested journalistic content. Link

13 - Cactus advertising gallery

An image gallery with advertisements from Cactus is the closest element on the rtl.lu site. Although this element can be distinguished from the rest of the site due to the Cactus logo and its unique design, it is not specifically marked as an advertisement.

14 - Article „Deliver lab samples with drones via an app“

This article does not violate the rules of the press code, but the content is not really journalistic, but rather links to a press release from a number of private companies. Link

15 - Commercial correctly labeled as Advertisement

Another advertisement is shown, this time clearly marked as „Advertisement“. This shows that it is at least theoretically possible to apply such a marking over the advertisements.

16 - Embedded advertising

In addition to the advertisements that are directly integrated into the site rtl.lu, advertisements are embedded - and in this case also marked with the word „Advertisement“.

17 - Article „Two times silver for Brasserie Nationale“

This is another article where it is not clear whether it should be considered editorial content or is already surreptitious advertising - at least it is not marked as advertising. The article itself does not have an author, but only „RTL“ as the author. The image used was provided by the company Brasserie Nationale S.A. and bears its logo. The content of the article is a Luxembourgish translation of a press release from Brasserie Nationale S.A., including a translated statement by its director. The press release itself is also uploaded to RTL.lu and linked in the article.

18 - Advertisement for „Lifelong Learning“

Unmarked and confusing to the public due to the headline „Trainings“: Is this advertisement informative content from RTL or a paid advertisement?

19 - Article „Win NBA 2K24 and Lego 2K Drive for the Nintendo Switch“

The article „Fun Christmas gift: Won NBA 2K24 and LEGO 2K Drive for the Nintendo Switch“. is presented in the feed on RTL.lu as a normal article. The author was stated: David Winter is a journalist from RTL, who also has a press card, which is a direct violation of Article 11 b) of the Press Code, which states that journalists may not publish advertisements with their name as the author. The article can be found a second time on the RTL.lu site, as a „Radio Feature“ - here it says „We, or rather David Winter, present you with two games that were released this year and that you can also win with us“. The following description is only a small part of David Winter, but it contains audio content from the „Editorial staff of Mein Audioservice“. This is a „service“ from the German „infomercial“ company „PR on Air“, which offers its advertising clients access to various radio stations. The deal here: Companies pay „PR on Air“ to have their products featured on various radio programs. „PR on Air“ therefore produces audio content and makes it available to radio stations for free - possibly even with built-in prize games.

20 - Article „The world’s largest halfpipe is in Laax“

The article is marked in the tagline as a „reportage“, „RTL“ is the author and a radio contribution is embedded: Whether a person from RTL was really on site can be doubted: No audio of the place, no independent descriptions, no impressions and no people on site were interviewed. The image material also bears the copyright of the operator of the ski slope. The entire article consists only of the statements of the company’s manager, Reto Poltera. Nevertheless, RTL came to the conclusion after the article that this is the „best slope in the world“, without having to provide any justification or, for example, make any comparisons. The infrastructure is „perfect“, however. There are also no critical questions, e.g. how the operator dares to claim that his artificial snow is sustainable. The question arises whether there is an advertising deal behind this article, whether it is a hidden advertisement, or whether RTL is simply providing the Laax ski slope with exaggerated free advertising.

21 - Probably really an article? „Hoplr, an app for neighbors“

Is this „reportage“ an advertisement? It is probably a journalistic reportage, even if it is basically just an app and its functions being presented. It is interesting to compare this „reportage“ with reports from other Luxembourgish press organizations, for example, to see how the subject was treated there. It is striking that RTL has far less research, less context and overall less information to offer. Since RTL decorates its article with images whose copyright is said to be with „hoplr.com“, and calls HOPLR an „initiative“ instead of an app or a company, it is even less clear to what extent RTL’s reporting and Hoplr’s self-presentation are mixed here. RTL also does not indicate who is responsible for the content of the article; unlike articles by other press organizations, the journalists on RTL.lu also disappear in this case, as so often, behind the author „RTL“. Wort Tageblatt

22 - Articles „RTL Reporter Best Of - Kokopelli“, „RTL Reporter - Kokopelli - Nature and Inclusion“ and „RTL Reporter - Kokopelli Wildnispedagogik“

These „reports“ go one step further: Links are also included that lead directly to the websites of the companies that are reported on here. What is particularly problematic here is that the report revolves around the issue of the well-being of children, e.g. with sentences like: „It has long been proven that children who spend a lot of time in nature develop a better immune system and are also generally more balanced and creative“. Are these reports advertising? The way they are made strongly suggests this. However, the RTL journalist could also just be doing a favor for a friend. What is clear is that this „report“ has nothing to do with journalism.

23 - PiccoBello! The show in replay

A show that has been running on RTL-TV for a long time: PiccoBello. This is a show that is directly related to scratch cards sold by the National Lottery - a game of chance. Neither the sponsor of the show nor the nature of the advertisement is indicated in the preview on rtl.lu.

24 - 4 players against each other! Try your luck at the official Jangli Winter Games

This advertisement is also presented in the look of an article.

25 - IP Digital

„Would you like to advertise on RTL.lu? Contact our advertising agency IPLuxembourg directly,“ says the IP statement embedded in the footer of the site. Although IP is actually a separate company, it is presented here as part of the RTL.lu website. IP employees have also published articles and radio reports that were examined here. IP is a subsidiary of CLT-UFA, which also belongs to RTL New Media, the operator of the rtl.lu website. However, RTL New Media is included in the State Treaty on „Public Service“ and is bound by the Press Code as a press organ - IP is a commercial company whose goal is to generate maximum profit.