Advertisment
A sponsored advertisement on Instagram read: “Beauty Savers, big on brands, low on price!”. Beneath the advertised product was a circle stating:
“Save €42
at beauty savers!”
Followed by a link to “Shop now”.
Complaint
The complainant considered the advertisement to be misleading on the grounds that it stated you were saving €42 whereas when you clicked the “shop now” button, the product was listed as €42 with an €18 saving from the RRP price of €60.
Response
The advertisers stated that the advertisement was not meant to mislead at all and that it was put up with the intention of highlighting the price upon saving (Save 42.00 euros!). The advertisers stated it was intended to be read separately as – save – price 42.00 euros – to highlight the savings and the price after being 42.00 euros.
The advertisers stated that their other advertisements had been reviewed and followed the same format, so they used it again to highlight the price upon saving.
They stated that the price was clearly indicated as 42.00 euros and when you clicked to buy that was the price that came up. The advertisers also asked ASA if they would prefer them to state: Sale now 42.00 euros or Save only 42.00 euros.
Conclusion
Complaint Upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’
response.
The Committee considered that a reasonable interpretation of the statement “Save €42” was that the cost of the product had been reduced by €42. As this was not the case, the Committee considered the presentation of the promotion was likely to mislead consumers. In the light of this, the Committee considered the advertisement to be in breach of Sections 4.01, 4.04 and 4.05 of the Code.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The advertising must not appear again in its current form.
