Advertisment
The advertisement appeared as a sponsored social media post within a user’s feed. It featured an image of an infant formula product labelled ‘First Milk 0–12 months’. The post also included a ‘Shop now’ button linking consumers to purchase the product online.
Complaint
The complainant stated that the advertisement promoted first infant formula, which they believed was illegal to advertise. They stated that breastfeeding should always be encouraged as the best option for infants.
Response
The advertisers stated that the advertisement had been created in error as part of a large catalogue feed used for social media campaigns, which selected products automatically. They stated that steps were being taken to remove the products from all social media sales channels.
Conclusion
Conclusion:
Complaint Upheld
The Independent Complaints Council considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response.
The Council considered the requirement of the Code that marketing communications for infant formula are prohibited unless they appear in scientific publications or are for the purposes of trade before the retail stage or are a publication for which the intended readers are not the general public (S. 8.42). The Council noted that the advertisement had appeared in error due to a large catalogue feed that fed into social media campaigns where products were automatically chosen at random. The Council acknowledged the steps taken by the advertisers to remove infant formula products from their social media sales channels, however, as the advertisement had featured infant formula and was directed at consumers, the Council considered the advertisement was in breach of Section 8.42 of the Code.
Action Required:
The advertisement must not reappear in its current form.
