Ads run everywhere?

The Guardian reports that Vodafone and First Direct pulled their ads from Facebook yesterday after finding they were placed on entries created by the British National Party.

The action sparks concern among major advertisers over Facebook's lack of control in randomized ad placement - something that happened in the U.S. several times when display ads first appeared on American sites.

And according to the Guardian, it may also engender refinements in saturation advertising by firms seeking to associate themselves with "popular" websites, many of which are ruled by consumer-generated content and automated content-based ad-serving - two forces that are difficult to manage.

Both Vodafone and First Direct expressed concerns about their ads appearing in areas inconsistent with their "values and identity," as Rob Skinner of First Direct stated.

As for Vodafone, the company said it would consider reinvesting in "similar advertising" when "more robust controls" are in place.