For the first time in my life I feel sorry for insurance salesmen. The Financial Services Authority has taken a big red pen to their use of the words "save up to £200 with our insurance" in the text of their sponsored links. That's because the FSA is concerned that these advertisers fail to substantiate the percentage of people actually receiving the savings. So the FSA says these ads are misleading.

There are two things I don't get. First, is anyone actually misled by such ads? If I see the words "save up to £200," I have enough shopping experience to know that I'm unlikely to save the full £200 but that some people will (or should). I don't object to the ad when I learn that I won't save the full £200. (I'm carrying 3 points on my licence; I don't expect the ad to know that). It's surely just a ubiquitous advertising puff. Second, how do you write compelling copy while also substantiating that £200 saving in two lines of text, each with a maximum of 35 characters? "Four per cent of customers saved £200" won't make me click.