ASA Adjudication on Kentucky Fried Chicken (Great Britain) Ltd

Ad

A TV ad, for the KFC Wrapstar, showed a doctor in a hospital. When trying to do some paperwork he was interrupted by a knock on his office door; when trying to join colleagues at a table in the staff canteen his pager bleeped; when trying to make a cup of tea an announcement called him away. The voice-over stated "You can't always stop for lunch. The KFC Wrapstar: delicious crispy strips, creamy pepper mayo, cheese, tostada, salsa and salad, all wrapped up in a toasted flour tortilla for only £2.99. So you can have great food on the go." The ad showed the doctor walking out of the hospital eating the Wrapstar and then, back in the hospital, sitting on a trolley eating the Wrapstar.

Issue

Six viewers thought the presentation of the doctor in the ad misleadingly suggested the Wrapstar was a healthy snack which was endorsed by health professionals.

BCAP TV Code

Response

KFC said they had no plans to repeat the ad or to depict doctors in future ads for the Wrapstar, although they would continue to pursue the theme of portability and convenience, and would therefore feature busy people, in future ads for the product.

They explained that the ad was intended to portray a product that consumers could eat on the go if they did not have time to stop for lunch.  They decided to feature a doctor in the ad because they believed consumers perceived doctors as being always busy and carrying out a job where interruptions were constant and long lunch breaks were impossible.

They argued that the ad contained no claim that the Wrapstar was healthy and pointed out that the ad listed the products ingredients.  They also argued that the doctor in the ad did not give advice or recommendations, visually or verbally, about the product or its contents.  They said the ad showed a busy young doctor having difficulty finding any free time, not a nutritional professional.

Clearcast (formerly the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre) pointed out that the doctor in the ad did not address the camera to deliver an endorsement and the voice-over made no claims about health professionals regarding the product as healthy.  They felt it was clear that the ad featured a doctor merely because doctors were often seen as overworked people who would not have much time to stop for a break and eat.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA considered that the doctor in the ad was merely trying to find time for a break to catch up on paperwork or enjoy a refreshment and was not shown offering nutritional advice or recommending the product.  We also noted he was shown, at the end of the ad, eating the Wrapstar on a hospital trolley which was being wheeled along; we considered that made his portrayal somewhat comical and therefore viewers were unlikely to interpret his behaviour as exemplary.  We concluded that the ad's depiction of a doctor was likely to suggest merely that the Wrapstar was convenient food for busy people; we considered that viewers were unlikely to believe the Wrapstar was a healthy snack or assume that it was endorsed by health professionals just because the ad featured a doctor.

We investigated the ad under CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code rules 5.1 (Misleading advertising) and 8.1.2(a) (Medicines, treatments, health claims and nutrition - Impressions of professional advice and support) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action required.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Broadcast)