ASA Adjudication on Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Ltd

Ad

A TV ad, for Calgon water softener, showed two women in a supermarket. One woman said "Do you use a water softener?"; the other woman replied "Well I do now. My washing machine broke down from lime scale damage. Water everywhere". The on-screen image cut to the woman in her home with an engineer showing her the broken parts of a washing machine; the floor was covered in water and the woman looked shocked. The ad went on to compare Calgon Express Ball with store brand equivalents.

Issue

A viewer complained that the ad misleadingly implied the product could prevent a washing machine from flooding and therefore exaggerated the potential effects of lime scale on a washing machine, because he believed the likelihood of lime scale causing a flood was very low.

BCAP TV Code

Response

Reckitt Benckiser (UK) (RB) argued that lime scale build-up in washing machines would affect the heating element, the drum, the casing and the pipe-work. They said lime scale could lead to machine failure in two main areas. The first was the heating element which could become coated in lime scale leading to failure, which stopped the power supply, meaning the water had to be drained and water spillage was therefore likely. They said the second machine failure was due to pipes becoming encrusted with scale, affecting the flexibility of pipes and seals which could contribute to leaks or split pipes and seals. They said a white goods manufacturer had issued a document to them confirming the different negative effects of lime scale on washers, part of which stated: "The lime also deposits in the inner parts of the plastic parts of the machine such as hose and bellows making them hard. The plastic parts, losing their flexibility, are ruptured, causing the machine to leak water."

RB sent an extract from a survey of repairers that stated "In general, heating, pump and pipe faults are most likely to be lime scale related." They asserted that washing machine manufacturers recognised that the consequence of leakage was extremely distressing for the consumer.

RB argued that there was a credible link between water hardness and machine failure which resulted in water escape; they believed it was not a rare occurrence. They argued that the ad set out the problem caused by lime scale and showed it could result in component damage and water loss. They believed the ad did not mislead or imply attributes, capabilities or performance beyond those that could be achieved in normal use of Calgon

Clearcast believed the ad was a fair demonstration of what could happen if lime scale was allowed to build up. They believed the ad did not mislead the viewer as to what could happen if a washing machine broke down and was a realistic portrayal of the damage that could be caused. They referred to the studies carried out by RB which they believed proved that lime scale could build up in washing machines in hard water areas and that Calgon was an effective water softener and therefore an effective agent in preventing the flooding shown in the ad. They believed that view was supported by those dealing with washing machine repairs on a daily basis. They pointed out that similar claims and ads had been running since 2005 without complaint from a member of the public or anyone within the washing machine manufacture or repair industry.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted RB's assertion that the water in the ad could be on the floor for one of two reasons; either lime scale had led to the pump not working and water had to be manually removed from the machine, or because lime scale had caused pipes to leak or split and water had leaked from the machine. We considered that the ad implied that lime scale had led to the machine failing and that that failure had led to water flooding on to the floor, either because the repairer had manually removed water or because the machine had unexpectedly flooded.

We understood that there was a potential for lime scale build up on the heating surfaces of washing machines and the immersion heaters often then failed as a result due to the heat retention properties. We considered that the evidence sent by RB showed that lime scale was the cause of failure in a number of washing machines, particularly in hard water areas, and that pipes, hoses and seals could be damaged. We also considered that RB had shown that such failure caused by lime scale could lead to water flooding on to the floor, be it by deliberate removal by a repairer because the pump had broken, or unexpected flooding due to split pipes, hoses or seals causing water to leak. We concluded, therefore, that the ad was unlikely to mislead.

We investigated the ad under CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code rules 5.1 (Misleading advertising), 5.2.1 (Evidence) and 5.2.2 (Implications) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action required.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Broadcast)