ASA News & Analysis
4 articles
Market Mood
Beauty Pie (BEAUTY) LED Mask Ad Banned Over Misleading Claims
The Advertising Standards Authority banned an ad for Beauty Pie's LED face mask, which claimed to be 'clinically proven to reduce wrinkles in four weeks.' The authority noted that Beauty Pie's supporting evidence from a test involving 28 people was insufficient due to the small sample size and lack of a placebo group. While 92% of testers reported a reduction in fine lines, the ASA ruled that improved results could not be attributed solely to the mask. The LED market is projected to reach £600 million globally by 2032, indicating a significant opportunity despite the ruling.
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Kane and Haaland Instagram Betting Ads Banned by ASA
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned two Instagram ads featuring football stars Harry Kane and Erling Haaland for being deemed 'irresponsible.' The ASA's ruling stated that the adverts, promoting an online betting site, breached their code due to the stars' strong appeal to under-18s. One ad claimed that Kane was 'the most backed player to win the Ballon d'Or in 2026 (32% of bets)', while the other suggested Norway was the most-backed bet for the 2026 World Cup. Despite efforts from Oddschecker to restrict visibility to those over 18, the ASA concluded that the ads could still attract children, resulting in their ban.
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Enough's DNA Kits Misleading Ads Banned by ASA for Unproven Claims
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled against Enough's misleading advertising claims regarding self-swab DNA testing kits for sexual assault victims. The ASA found that the posts lacked evidence to support assertions about court admissibility and inflated statistics regarding rape in the UK. According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, 71,227 rapes were reported to the police in 2024. Enough, which sells these kits for £20 and distributed them for free to Bristol students, stated they respect the ruling and have updated their wording.
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Eucerin (BEI) Face Serum Advert Banned Over Misleading Claim
An advertisement for Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum, priced at £49, was banned due to misleading claims indicating users could look 'up to five years younger'. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated the marketing after receiving a consumer complaint, revealing the claimed study involved 160 participants over four weeks without a control group and raised concerns regarding its methodology. Beiersdorf, owner of Eucerin, stated the claim reflected a genuine maximum improvement and asserted all its studies adhere to industry standards. The advertisement is now deemed misleading and must not reappear in its previous form.
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