Advertisment
The Influencer’s Instagram post read:
“…I’m thrilled to be able to offer one lucky follower a free consultation and Botox treatment with AnuMe. To enter…”
Complaint
The complainant said Botox was a prescription only medicine that should not be advertised as part of a competition.
Response
The advertisers said as a clinic provider they took their responsibilities very seriously. They were aware of the restrictions in the advertising of prescriptive medication but missed the reference to “Botox” in this instance and this had been an oversight on their part. They instructed the Influencer to edit the post and advised them on posts going forward.
In conclusion, the advertisers said they accepted the complaint and would make every effort to prevent this happening again.
Conclusion
Complaint upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response. They noted the steps taken by the advertisers to have the reference removed from the post and the advice provided for future advertising. As Botox is a prescription only medicine that is not permitted under the Code to be advertised to the public and as the advertisement had used the term ‘Botox’ the Committee considered that the advertising was in breach of Section 11.16 of the Code.
Action Required:
As the advertisement had been amended no further action was required in this case.