The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a billboard advertisement for Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum after ruling its claim to make users look up to five years younger was misleading. The poster, displayed at London's Balham Underground station, advertised the £49 product as 'clinically proven' based on a four-week study of 160 participants.
Key Takeaways
The UK advertising watchdog banned a billboard for Eucerin’s £49 serum over misleading claims it could make users look five years younger. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found the study supporting the claim flawed and lacking robust evidence.
- ASA banned ad claiming serum makes users look up to 5 years younger
- Study methodology criticized: no control group, self-reported results, different climate conditions
- Beiersdorf argued claims were supported by scientific research but removed the billboard
The ASA launched an investigation following a public complaint and found several issues with the study's methodology. According to the BBC and Sky News, the watchdog noted there was no control group and insufficient information about participant recruitment. Additionally, as reported by Daily Mail, the research was conducted in a hotter climate than the UK, potentially affecting its applicability to British consumers.
The ASA also highlighted that participants' self-reported opinions were used instead of officially measured outcomes. According to Sky News, three other studies submitted by Beiersdorf were unpublished and had methodological concerns. The peer-reviewed paper examined only the active ingredient, not the final product. As a result, the ASA concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the claim.
Beiersdorf, Eucerin's parent company, defended its research as scientifically supported and in line with industry standards. According to Daily Mail, they emphasized that claims were presented as 'up to' five years younger rather than definitive results. However, the ASA ruled that the ad should not appear again in its current form unless robust evidence is provided.
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