Advertising Standards

Authority
Compliance
Report
Cosmetics Advertising Survey 2007
Lucy Montier
Background
 The most recent health and beauty survey was carried out in 2007 by
the Advertising Standards Authority.
 In 2006 the survey focused around products such as skin creams, hair
loss treatments, alternative therapies, health supplements and
slimming products.
 In 2007 the survey focused more on skin creams (for the face and
body), acne treatments, fillers, make-up, perfume and men’s
cosmetics.
 The compliance team examined 445 unique product advertisements.
 This was to see that these advertisements complied with the
advertising standards set by the Advertising Standards Agency.
 These are a set of rules created to avoid things such as viewers being
mislead by advertising .
Method
 The team looked at TV and radio ads, direct mailings,
online ads, posters and press ads.
 53 TV ads, 25 radio ads, 12 direct mailings, 93 online
 ads, four posters and 258 press ads were looked at in
total.
 Breaches of compliance were recorded only when
obvious.
 The results showed that only 7 % of adverts breached
the “codes”, leaving a 93 % compliance rate.
 This survey was carried out in order to encourage good
practice in advertising.
Main Policy Principles

 These are the things that should not be

implied by advertisers to avoid problems like
misleading an audience:
“Cosmetics creams can have a permanent or long-lasting effect on removing or
reducing wrinkles
Anti-ageing benefits occur over time (cumulative effects)
Fillers can have a rejuvenating or permanent effect
Cosmetics creams have physiological effects, for example trigger collagen
production or cell regeneration.”
BCAP Television Code Rules
 Following on from the “main policy principles” are rules
or “codes” put in place in order to avoid the principles
from being breached. These are used in television
advertising only, and different rules are used for radio.
“5.2.1 Evidence : Licensees must obtain adequate objective evidence to support all
claims
8.2.3 Products without a marketing authorisation : No medicinal claims may be
made for products that do not hold a marketing authorisation under the Medicines
Act 1968
8.2.1 Unacceptable products and services : Advertisements for the following are not
acceptable: (a) medicinal products or treatments available only on prescription
(POM)
8.2.8 Guarantee of efficacy : No advertisement for a medicinal product may claim
that its effects are guaranteed.”
BCAP Radio Code Rules
 These rules are similar to those used for television
advertisements in that there are rules surrounding
misleadingness and medicines.
 They differ in that there are more, and there is a big emphasis
on being specific about product information.
 There is also a rule stating that:
“Advertisements for medicines and medical products which require
legal marketing authorisation must not be presented by, or include
testimonials from, persons well known in public life, sport,
entertainment, etc. The Medicines (Advertising) Regulations 1994
prohibits "recommendations by persons who because of their
celebrity, could encourage the consumption of medicinal products.“”
CAP non-broadcast Code Rules

 This set of rules again have similarities to the

previous two sets, however apply more to
magazine advertisements, press, cinema,
online and billboards.
Breaches of compliance
 The highest breaches of compliance were found in advertisements
for cellulite, laser treatments, and fillers, of which 100 % , 50 % , 40
% of adverts breached compliance respectively.
 This is closely followed by stretch mark oil, skin creams and acne, of
which 20 % , 19 % , 17 % of averts breached compliance respectively.
 No breaches were found in the perfume advertisements.
 This may be because perfume adverts are less likely to promise
miracles and medicinal properties and far more likely to sell an
image, as they are more often than not endorsed by celebrities.
 This could be seen as unreliable because the number of
advertisements used for each product varied completely.
 The highest amount of breaches were found in press
advertisements, which came in at 88 % of the breaches.
Breaches of compliance contd.

 The biggest area of concern was that of breaches

of compliance in skin cream advertisements.
 19 % breached compliance.
 Usually this was because of the advert making
claims that were untrue or misleading. These
claims often went beyond any evidence they had.
 Those who appealed their breach and sent in
evidence were denied as it was not sufficient
enough to support the claims.
Example Adverts
 These two advertisements were considered to be in breach of the
compliance.
 In both, which were mascara advertisements it was considered to
be misleading that the models, (both well known celebrities, Kate
Moss and Penelope Cruz) were both seen to be wearing false
eyelashes.
 This was considered misleading because both adverts are claiming
that the mascara increases eyelash length, and the false eyelashes
exaggerate that, misleading the audience.
 The Advertising Standards Agency decided that this could be fixed
by making it clear that the models were wearing false eyelashes.
 Both advertisements now comply with the rules set by the
advertising standards agency.
Lash Extending ?
Summary
 In summary, many advertisements are flawed due to a lack of evidence to support
vast efficacy claims.
 Men’s advertisements are less likely to breach compliance as less efficacy claims
are made as less text is used.
 Skin creams proved to have a high breach rate, and advertisements in the press
had the highest breach rate of all media.
 Claims that a product would have wondrous effects in a certain amount of time
(these are called cumulative effects) counted for a quarter of the breaches in skin
cream adverts.
 Overall the compliance rate has not changed much over time, and currently stands
with 93 % of advertisements complying.
 Advertisements are mostly in breach for making either cumulative claims, not
having enough evidence to support a claim made, or general misleading
information.
 Advertisements can be withdrawn if they do not alter the advert to fit with the
requirements of the Advertising Standards Agency.