Elisa's crocodile 'bit' the prices — but never showed the 30-day low the law demands

Finnish telecom Elisa built a campaign around a crocodile: 'Haukatut hinnat' — bitten prices — with price tags showing bite marks, a mascot called Hintagaattori, 'campaign price' labels and web addresses containing the Finnish word for sale. A print ad ran in Helsingin Sanomat in March 2024, a TV spot that September, and Black Friday banners in November ('Best Black Friday campaigns', 'Brightest device deals'). Together they told one story: prices had been cut.

What the story lacked was the anchor Finnish law has required since 1 January 2023: every announcement of a price reduction must show the lowest price applied to the product in the preceding 30 days — the EU's Omnibus rule against fake discounts. Elisa showed none. The Consumer Ombudsman took the case to the Market Court in June 2025, even though Elisa had already stopped the marketing.

In decision MAO:45/2026 of 6 February 2026 the Market Court ruled both campaigns unlawful: marketing that creates an impression of a discount counts as a price reduction announcement, with or without a stated before-price. It prohibited Elisa from using such expressions without the 30-day lowest price — excluding genuine loyalty offers — and attached a conditional fine of €50,000. It was the first Finnish precedent on what counts as discount marketing; voluntary compliance did not make the case moot.